A man journeyed through mountains and rivers, enduring great hardship. While crossing a steep cliff, he slipped and fell into a deep ravine. As he plummeted, he desperately grabbed an old branch growing from the cliffside — saving himself but left dangling mid-air.
Spotting the compassionate Buddha standing above, he pleaded:
“Buddha! Save me, I beg you!”
The Buddha replied gently:
“I will save you — if you obey me.”
The man cried: “At this point, I’ll do anything you say!”
The Buddha instructed:
“Then release your hands from the branch.”
Hearing this, the man panicked: “Letting go means certain death!” He clung tighter. Seeing his stubborn delusion, the Buddha departed.
Philosophical Notes
The Illusion of Control:
The branch symbolizes all worldly attachments — status, beliefs, ego. The man’s refusal to let go mirrors how we cling to “safety” that traps us.
Trust as True Surrender:
Buddha’s condition (“obey me”) tests absolute trust in wisdom beyond self-preservation. The man’s verbal agreement meant nothing without action.
Paradox of Salvation:
Letting the branch = surrender of self-driven effort. Only by “dying” to his fear could he be caught by Buddha’s compassion — like a seed breaking to sprout.
Core Teaching:
Clinging to the branch = Cyclic suffering (samsara)
Releasing hands = Faith in boundless liberation (nirvana)
The ravine wasn’t his doom — his grip was.
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