A young man approached an elderly teacher in a pessimistic frame of mind and only to lament. His existence consists of monotonous, uninteresting days.
When a young man once complained that he was making no progress in his studies, his teacher listened in silence and gave him a complete teaspoon of salt and a small glass of water.
– Mix this teaspoon of salt with water and ingest it.
The man immediately imitates as if being guided.
– A glass of saline water. The youngster responded.
The instructor took him to a nearby lake and added a teaspoon of salt to the water, instructing him to sample the lake’s water.
– The water in the lake has not changed, sir. Never does it tide.
The instructor stated slowly:
My child, everyone faces adversity in life. And these obstacles are like this teaspoon of salt; each individual dissolves it differently. Those with an open spirit like a lake do not lose their joy and appreciation for life in the face of sorrow. People whose spirits are as small as a glass of water, however, will turn their lives bitter and never gain any useful knowledge.
