Once upon a time, there was a man who went to a large pond where he thought he had seen the shadow of pure gold at the bottom of water. He gave a cry of joy and jumped into the water to feel about the mud and search for it.
A few moments later, he began to feel very tired. He could not find any gold and he then got out of the pond. But as soon as he was out of the water that became clear in no time, the golden shadow turned up again. Then he dived once again to do more searching. Still he found nothing. At this point, his father came looking for him. Seeing the state he was in, his father asked, "What have you been doing to get so tired?"
The son replied, "There is pure gold under water. I searched for it, but could find nothing."
The father could also see the shadow of pure gold in the water. But he soon realized that it was in the trees. So he knew what was in the water was mere reflection. Then he told his son that it was held by the bird's beak and brought it in the trees. Following his father's instructions, the son immediately got the gold from the trees.
So are the ignorant in the world. They hold on to tile thought of ego in the shadow of non-ego, just like the stupid man looking desperately for the gold without success.
60見水底金影喻
昔有癡人往大池所，見水底影有真金像，謂呼有金，即入水中撓泥求覓。疲極不得，還出復坐。須臾水清又現金色，復更入裏撓泥更求覓，亦復不得。其如是，父覓子得來見子，而問子言：「汝何所作，疲困如是？」子白父言：「水底有真金，我時投水欲撓泥取，疲極不得。」父看水底真金之影，而知此金在於樹上，所以知之，影現水底。其父言曰：「必飛鳥銜金著於樹上。」即隨父語，上樹求得。
凡夫愚癡人，無智亦如是，於無我陰中，橫生有我想；如彼見金影，勤苦而求覓，徒勞無所得。
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