A Classic Buddhist Tale

One Autumn day a poor Buddhist monk was walking along a road when he was approached by a caravan of bandits. The bandits robbed the monk, stripped off his robe, and tied him down in the adjacent field.

"You're a monk right? Doesn't that mean you can't hurt anything, not even a blade of grass? hahaha" sneered the leader of the bandits. "That is true" the monk replied. The bandits all laughed uproariously and then tied the monk down in the field by his wrists and ankles with grass blades. They left him vulnerable and exposed this way and left.

The monk could not hurt the grass blades intentionally due to his spiritual beliefs so he stayed that way in the field for 3 days and 3 nights and even endured the rain and cold. On the fourth day, the King and his men were traveling down the same road and stopped when they saw the monk in the field.

The monk explained his situation to the King and the King was so impressed he decided to make the monk his right hand advisor in the court. The monk lived the rest of his days prosperous and accompanied by royalty.