9 The Old Sailor


The Old Sailor

An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends purchased and gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual, he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land.  Once again he was rescued by his friends.  

Disgusted and impatient with him, they asked, "Why didn't you use that compass we gave you? You could have saved us a lot of trouble!" The sailor responded, "I didn't dare to! I wanted to go north, but as hard as I tried to make the needle aim in that direction, it just kept on pointing southeast."  

The old sailor was so certain he knew which was north that he stubbornly tried to force his own personal persuasion on his compass. Unable to do so, he tossed it aside as worthless and failed to benefit from the guidance it offered.

So often the actions of others can bring about their own isolation and misery. Having friends is always a blessing.

Lao Tzu once said, "Those who are in touch with the Tao, they are the ones who are generous to others. They give without seeking credit. They do what has to be done and they move on. They have no interest in flaunting their learning, or in showing off.

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