Two frustrated young men went to visit their teacher. They said: “Master, we are being bullied at the office where we work; the office culture has become incredibly toxic. Please enlighten us. Should we quit our jobs?” they asked in unison.
The master closed his eyes, deep in thought. After a while, he uttered five simple words: “It’s just a bowl of rice.” Then he waved his hand in dismissal.
As soon as they returned to work, one of them sprang into action: He handed in his resignation and returned home to resume farming. The other man continued working there as usual.
Ten years passed, and both men became successful. The farmer became an agricultural expert; he improved different varieties of crops by using modern technology and botany. The other man learned to deal effectively with company culture and worked hard. He gradually gained respect and became a manager.
One day, the two happened to meet. The agricultural expert was puzzled by the way that their paths in life had diverged and asked: “Why didn’t you listen to the master’s words when we were both given the same advice: ‘It’s just a bowl of rice’?”
“I did listen,” the manager replied with a smile. “The master said: ‘It’s just a bowl of rice.’ So, I thought, if all of that nitpicking is so minor, why get so angry about it? I just followed the boss’s orders and didn’t get too worked up. That’s what the master meant, right?”
The two were completely puzzled and decided to visit their teacher again, to ask him what he had really meant. He was very old now and often looked as though he was napping. After a while, he answered with five words, “It’s just a thought.” Then he waved his hand…
Apparently advice can be open to your own interpretation. Therefore, it is important to think carefully.
五句忠告，不同结局
兩個不如意的年輕人，一起去拜望師父：”師父，我們在辦公室被欺負，太痛苦了，求你開示，我們是不是該辭掉工作？” 兩個人一起問。
師父閉著眼睛，隔半天，吐出五個字 ：”不過一碗飯”。就揮揮手，示意年輕人退下了。
才回到公司，一個人就遞上辭呈，回家種田，另一個什麼也沒動。
日子真快，轉眼十年過去了。回家種田的以現代方法經營，加上品種改良，居然成了農業專家。另一個留在公司的，也不差。他忍著氣，努力學，漸漸受到器重，成了經理。
有一天兩個人遇到了。
奇怪，師父給我們同樣”不過一碗飯”這五個字，我一聽就懂了。不過一碗飯嘛，日子有什麼難過？何必硬巴在公司?所以辭職，農業專家問另一個人：”你當時為何沒聽師父的話呢?”
“我聽了啊，”那經理笑道：”師父説’不過一碗飯’，多受氣，多受累，我只要想不過為了混碗飯吃，老闆説什麼是什麼，少賭氣，少計較，就成了，師父不是這個意思嗎?”
兩個人又去拜望師父，師父已經很老了，仍然閉著眼睛，隔半天，答了五個字，”不過一念間”然後揮揮手…
是不是很有意思呢？很多事， 真的是一念之間啊，所以在決定什麼事時， 要多想想哦。
