Three Questions
by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
IT once occurred to a certain king, that if he always knew the right time to
begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom
to avoid, and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing
to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.
And this thought having occurred to him, he had it proclaimed throughout his
kingdom that he would give a great reward to any one who would teach him what
was the right time for every action, and who were the most necessary people,
and how he might know what was the most important thing to do.
And learned men came to the King, but they all answered his questions differently.
In reply to the first question, some said that to know the right time for every
action, one must draw up in advance, a table of days, months and years, and
must live strictly according to it. Only thus, said they, could everything be
done at its proper time. Others declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand
the right time for every action; but that, not letting oneself be absorbed in
idle pastimes, one should always attend to all that was going on, and then do
what was most needful. Others, again, said that however attentive the King might
be to what was going on, it was impossible for one man to decide correctly the
right time for every action, but that he should have a Council of wise men,
who would help him to fix the proper time for everything.
But then again others said there were some things which could not wait to be
laid before a Council, but about which one had at once to decide whether to
undertake them or not. But in order to decide that one must know beforehand
what was going to happen. It is only magicians who know that; and, therefore
in order to know the right time for every action, one must consult magicians.
Equally various were the answers to the second question. Some said, the people
the King most needed were his councillors; others, the priests; others, the
doctors; while some said the warriors were the most necessary.
To the third question, as to what was the most important occupation: some replied
that the most important thing in the world was science. Others said it was skill
in warfare; and others, again, that it was religious worship.
All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them, and gave
the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions,
he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.
The hermit lived in a wood which he never quitted and he received none but common
folk. So the King put on simple clothes, and before reaching the hermit's cell
dismounted from his horse, and, leaving his bodyguard behind, went on alone.
When the King approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his
hut. Seeing the King, he greeted him and went on digging. The hermit was frail
and weak, and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little
earth, he breathed heavily.
The King went up to him and said: 'I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you
to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right
time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more
attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important and need
my first attention?'
The hermit listened to the King, but answered nothing. He just spat on his hand
and recommenced digging.
'You are tired,' said the King, 'let me take the spade and work awhile for you.'
'Thanks!' said the hermit, and, giving the spade to the King, he sat down on
the ground.
When he had dug two beds, the King stopped and repeated his questions. The hermit
again gave no answer, but rose, stretched out his hand for the spade, and said:
'Now rest awhile -- and let me work a bit.'
But the King did not give him the spade, and continued to dig. One hour passed,
and another. The sun began to sink behind the trees, and the King at last stuck
the spade into the ground, and said:
'I came to you, wise man, for an answer to my questions. If you can give me
none, tell me so, and I will return home.'
'Here comes some one running,' said the hermit, 'let us see who it is.'
The King turned round, and saw a bearded man come running out of the wood. The
man held his hands pressed against his stomach, and blood was flowing from under
them. When he reached the King, he fell fainting on the ground moaning feebly.
The King and the hermit unfastened the man's clothing. There was a large wound
in his stomach. The King washed it as best he could, and bandaged it with his
handkerchief and with a towel the hermit had. But the blood would not stop flowing,
and the King again and again removed the bandage soaked with warm blood, and
washed and rebandaged the wound. When at last the blood ceased flowing, the
man revived and asked for something to drink. The King brought fresh water and
gave it to him. Meanwhile the sun had set, and it had become cool. So the King,
with the hermit's help, carried the wounded man into the hut and laid him on
the bed. Lying on the bed the man closed his eyes and was quiet; but the King
was so tired with his walk and with the work he had done, that he crouched down
on the threshold, and also fell asleep -- so soundly that he slept all through
the short summer night. When he awoke in the morning, it was long before he
could remember where he was, or who was the strange bearded man lying on the
bed and gazing intently at him with shining eyes.
'Forgive me!' said the bearded man in a weak voice, when he saw that the King
was awake and was looking at him.
'I do not know you, and have nothing to forgive you for,' said the King.
'You do not know me, but I know you. I am that enemy of yours who swore to revenge
himself on you, because you executed his brother and seized his property. I
knew you had gone alone to see the hermit, and I resolved to kill you on your
way back. But the day passed and you did not return. So I came out from my ambush
to find you, and I came upon your bodyguard, and they recognized me, and wounded
me. I escaped from them, but should have bled to death had you not dressed my
wound. I wished to kill you, and you have saved my life. Now, if I live, and
if you wish it, I will serve you as your most faithful slave, and will bid my
sons do the same. Forgive me!'
The King was very glad to have made peace with his enemy so easily, and to have
gained him for a friend, and he not only forgave him, but said he would send
his servants and his own physician to attend him, and promised to restore his
property.
Having taken leave of the wounded man, the King went out into the porch and
looked around for the hermit. Before going away he wished once more to beg an
answer to the questions he had put. The hermit was outside, on his knees, sowing
seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before.
The King approached him, and said:
'For the last time, I pray you to answer my questions, wise man.'
'You have already been answered!' said the hermit still crouching on his thin
legs, and looking up at the King, who stood before him.
'How answered? What do you mean?' asked the King.
'Do you not see,' replied the hermit. 'If you had not pitied my weakness yesterday,
and had not dug these beds for me, but had gone your way, that man would have
attacked you, and you would have repented of not having stayed with me. So the
most important time was when you were digging the beds; and I was the most important
man; and to do me good was your most important business. Afterwards, when that
man ran to us, the most important time was when you were attending to him, for
if you had not bound up his wounds he would have died without having made peace
with you. So he was the most important man, and what you did for him was your
most important business. Remember then: there is only one time that is important
-- Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have
any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows
whether he will ever have dealings with any one else: and the most important
affair is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into
this life!'
1903.
(from http://www.tolstoy.org/)
Appendix
"How can we live in the present moment, live now with the people around
us, helping to lessen their suffering and making their lives happier? How? The
answer is this: We must practice mindfulness. The principle Tolstoy gives appears
easy. But if we want to put it into practice we must use the method of minfulness
in order to seek and find the way."-- Thich Nhat Hanh.
(Editor: Leo Tolstoy may not be a buddhist in the conventional and dogmatic
sense, but this story of his definitely is. When we strip away all the labels
we give to others and look only at the person and their deeds, we would come
to the conclusion that practitioners of different spiritual traditions have
much to learn from each other. In Thich Nhat Hanh's words "Tolstoy's story
is like a story out of scripture: it doesn't fall short of any sacred text,"
"Tolstoy is a saint-- what we Buddhists would call a Bodhisattva.")