O Pioneer, Do Your Thing!

"What is the meaning of life?”, one asked Confucius. They were passing through a hill country. It was spring. As they climbed down the philosopher said," It is in the spirit of that old man down there, in his gaiety...see him on a spree, with the butterflies overhead and worms stirring about his feet.."
"I don't believe your eyesight is sharp enough to see all that from here." The man was skeptical.
"Perhaps you are right. But my spirit could move into that of the old man and know.” Confucius replied. "Still it doesn't explain the meaning.” The man murmured.
Next they moved through the plains. They came across a large crowd weeping about a dead body. The widow was almost a child and curiously enough the philosopher thought her smiling inwards as if death came as deliverance; later in the evening the man who was with the philosopher asked, “What is the meaning of life? We were among the dead today."
Confucius said," Life holds mysteries and death is merely letting the youth free from the yoke of the old.” The man again asked the master, "What is the meaning of life?"
Confucius pretended as if he didn’t hear him. He said," I have to go to the City on an urgent business. You may come if you want to." He nodded.
Before they entered the City they had to pass through a village, which was almost deserted except for the womenfolk and children. Upon enquiries they were told that a great prophet had come to the nearby village holding sermons about the life after death. Meanwhile a man came into view. When the philosopher was told that he was the only one who stayed back, he wanted to speak to him.
Confucius asked if he weren't interested in the life after death? The man said, “First things first. Being poor I must look after the needful things first, my family needs me. Who will look after them in this life if I were to run after a life which neither the prophet nor anyone else has seen, let alone lived it?"
Turning towards the man who was constantly pestering him as to the meaning of life, the philosopher said, "If you really want to know the meaning, here is the man for you." With these words he pressed on towards the City.
* There is no other clue to the riddle of life than living it. How we solve it makes us pioneers.

benny