One day, a spider and a silkworm crossed paths and struck up a conversation. The spider said to the silkworm,
“I admit your silk is better than the silk from the spider. It is yellow and white, dazzling and bright. You use the silk that you spin yourself to make a beautiful comfortable cocoon, which you live inside thinking falsely you are kings. You dream in your little cocoon until the women put you in scalding hot water and peel your silk off strand by strand. Then your beautiful cocoons are all gone. What a shame, though you have the ability to create such beauty, then die because of it, is this not stupid?”
The silk worm thinking about what the spider said, answered:
“Our actions are actually like suicide, but we spin silk so that people can weave beautiful fabrics, giving all the people the ability to look beautiful. Can you really say our labor is a waste?
Look at you spider, your whole reason for weaving is to make a trap that will let you eat the little bugs that fly into it. You may not regret it, but don’t you at least think that is a little cruel?”
Bowing his head, the spider left.
With his words, the silkworm reminded the spider that in the end, humanity makes wondrous things out of his thread, while the spider is killed and his webs are brushed away with a broom.
Moral: On one hand, many people think it is a waste to do things that do not personally benefit them. These people cannot understand why making sacrifices for the benefit of others would be either logical or acceptable. On the other hand, there are some people who are satisfied knowing that their sacrifices benefit others. They have learned the joy of service to others.
When we learn to look up from our small needs, leave our egos behind and look at the broader picture and needs of humanity, we have taken a significant step on the path to enlightenment.
(note: You see it all the time, online and on the streets, “webs” of deceit made to trap you for the gain of the all mighty dollar. There are a lot more spiders than there are silk worms, yet there are still a great number of silk worms that sacrifice themselves for others, which are you?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
re-posting
Once upon a time there was a serpent that was persecuting a firefly. The poor firefly fled from the ferocious predator, using all the energy created by fear to speed him along.
The serpent, however, never considered giving up his pursuit, so he chased the poor firefly run away one day, and again for the second day.
The ordeal continued, until the third day.
Without the strength to continue, the firefly stopped and asked the Serpent, “May I ask you three questions?”
The Serpent said with a haughty tone, “I’m not used to answering anyone, but since I am going to devour you, you can ask me anything”.
“Am I part of your food chain?”
“No” answered the Serpent
“Did I hurt you or provoke you in any way?” asked the firefly.
“No” repeated the serpent.
“So, why do you want to devour me?”
“Well”, said the Serpent, “because I can’t stand to see your shining light.”
In your life, there will always be “serpents” that will come about to try to steal your light and dreams; you will have two options:
You can stop shinning your light, so no serpent will be after you any longer, or you can let your light shine even brighter and learn how to deal with people like that. But it will always be your choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sources:
-
The Silk Worm and the Spider story http://humanityhealing.net/2011/10/the-spider-and-the-silkworm/
-
The serpent and the firefly http://humanityhealing.net/2011/12/the-legend-of-the-serpent-and-the-firefly/
-
Spider web picture: http://15zabinb.blogspot.com/2010/10/genetically-modified-silk-worms-that.html
-
Silk worm picture: http://scorge.cghub.com/images/page:6/
-
Serpent and the firefly… firefly.jpg
-
Quote #1… spider web.jpg
-
Quote #2… tumblr_m85f8xHka31qbpi1so1_500
- Quote #3… artistisareceptacleforemotions.jpg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know~ Outdoors, spider’s make their webs facing south. (South of the equator they make them facing north… always toward the sun)
~In the spider web of facts many truths are strangled~
(~_~)
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 1, 2012 at 9:28 am
Sue Dreamwalker
Art I always love your entries and just wish I had more hours in the day to comment upon them all…
Yes there will always be those who wish to extinguish our lights… Great Morals to both these wonderful stories…
You still have to admire a spider thought, for its perseverance and patience… Speaking of spiders I saved one from the bathroom today.. Im sure he/she wasnt too happy to go outside on a cool day.. after being dry and warm.. But I needed to do some spinning of my own web today as I cleaned the bathroom.. 🙂
Hope you are feeling much brighter and stronger now Art…. Well wishes sent for a new month of September.. the Autumn months are hear already..
~Sue
September 1, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Linda Vernon
But the spider couldn’t help the way he was born. He was just being himself. Just like making his spider web facing north or south. He can’t help but do what he does. I feel sorry for the noble silkworm. I didn’t know they had to boil them to get the silk. It’s too bad they have to die to give us their gifts. Bees are much luckier!
I very much enjoyed these stories, Art. And I got a kick out of common sense being like deodorant! HA!
September 2, 2012 at 9:12 am
Charron's Chatter
I love this fable/allegory/parable. What a great way to start my day. I am sure glad to discovered you, you Zenful blogger, you. Consider me a fan! 🙂 (one of the 10,000 things…)
September 2, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Sandy's Hopeful Room
I very much enjoyed the The Web and The Coccoon very much! A wonderful story that reflects ourselves and who we are, what we do and why we do it. Sacrificing for others is noble, getting the things we need is basic. Blessings to you. . .
September 3, 2012 at 6:38 am
bibuji
I had never thought that a spider and a silkworm have an intersection. Much instructive! But let me support a spider…some of his species really help us that they hunt cockroaches.
September 4, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Chad the Velociwritetor
Hi Art! I found some time to spend and what better blog to spend it on but on yours! In defense of the silk worm, the spider’s fault seems to be it’s haughtiness. It tried to belittle the silk worm’s sacrifice without considering that it also had it’s own flaw. As always, another good lesson to learn.