Paying attention and trying to do them good, which usually just means giving them your full attention, is the most important thing for you to do. And they are the most important people at that time. The time you are with your children is the most important time. How does this ancient (and admittedly violent) story apply to parenting? If the emperor hadn’t stayed to help dig the garden and then rescue the assassin, either he or his enemy would be dead. “There is only one time that is important – now!” the wise man explains, “the most necessary person is the one with whom you are,” and the most important thing is to “do that person good.” In return, the assassin reconciles with the emperor. Good and bad, it's all the same: a Taoist parable to live by That’s when the holy man and emperor step in and save him. Tired of waiting, the man leaves hiding, only to be ambushed and almost killed by the emperor’s guards.
He had been waiting to attack the emperor as he came back down the mountain. It turns out the injured man was planning to assassinate the emperor to avenge his brother’s death in war. The emperor and holy man bandage him up, saving his life. Hours later, they’re interrupted by the distressed sounds of a third man who has been stabbed.
So while the ruler patiently waits, he helps the old man dig a garden he’s struggling to start. The wisdom needs to be internalized, not given away. The old man is too good a teacher to just tell the emperor the answers. What is the most important thing to be doing at any given time? What is the right time to begin anything?Ģ. Tolstoy’s “The Three Questions” is a parable of an emperor who seeks out a holy man on a mountain for answers he believes will help him be a great ruler. Don’t have seven minutes? I’ll summarize it for you in 300 words.
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