Recognize Your Value

A Zen Tale

A young girl sulked in a corner. “Nobody values me,” she stated when a Zen monk inquired about her grief. “I’m nearly worthless.”

Read this post for free here: Friend Link

The Zen monk quickly reflected upon something. “Go to my private garden and bring the stone with the carved image of the Buddha,” he said.

A short while later, the young girl returned with the stone. “Now, take it to the farmer’s market. If anyone asks for its cost, show them two fingers but don’t say anything,” the Zen monk instructed.

Gently stroking the little girl’s head, he added, “Shake your head in denial if they bargain. When you’ve identified its price, return the stone to me without selling it.”

The young girl followed the Zen monk’s instructions, and soon, a middle-aged woman approached her and inquired about the price of the carved stone. The little girl raised two fingers and remained silent.

“Two dollars?” The woman asked, and the young girl shook her head.

“Hmm… Twenty dollars? That’s expensive for a centerpiece, but I’ll still take it,” the woman remarked.

The young girl refused to sell the stone. Happy that someone offered to buy that simple artifact for $20, she returned to the Zen monk.