Empathy and Harmony

Zhang Xueqin

PureInsight | November 8, 2007

[PureInsight.org] There were
two families living next to each other. They had been living in harmony
for the last decade. Two grandchildren from the families were both ten
years old and schoolmates. Once when the children were at odds at
school, the families admonished their own children that there wasn't
any dispute. Later, during a fishing trip, these two children struggled
to get a good fishing spot and the child from the right neighbor was
pushed into the river. Even though the child was rescued in time, the
two families subsequently developed ill will.



The child from the right neighbor was their only son that and so the
parents went to the left family to accuse them of harboring a grudge
and plotting the murder of their son. They threatened to go to the
local authorities. Even after the left neighbor apologized and severely
punished their own child, the left neighbor still couldn't satisfy the
right neighbor. It looked like a storm could not be prevented.

 

The granny from the left neighbor told her family: "It is important to
be in harmony and tolerance is a blessing. Although the child was not
pushed into the river on purpose, we are still at fault and it is only
natural we are being blamed for it. We need to judge other people's
feelings by our own. The child is their only son. Wouldn't we also get
angry if we looked at it from that viewpoint?" These words pacified the
family. She told her family to prepare four presents that night. The
whole family went to visit their neighbor the next morning. The granny
said to her neighbor amicably: "We come to sincerely apologize for what
happened." Because of the unexpected action, the right neighbors were
greatly moved and regretted their indiscreet remarks made earlier. The
granny's calm and timely handling of the incident had dissolved the
conflict and the two families reconciled.



This incident happened seventy years ago. The granny passed away 68 years ago. She was my husband's grandma.



Translated from:

http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2007/10/18/41660.htm

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