Akatori Tales - A Parable

On his deathbed, a father called his two sons and handed them a heavy chest. "Carry it," he said, "to the top of the mountain and leave its contents there."

For a week, the brothers took turns, and together, dragging the unbearably heavy chest up the steep slope, until the first brother grew indignant at the pointlessness of the endeavor.

"Curse this chest, curse our father and his absurd idea. If you want, drag it the rest of the way yourself."

And the first brother turned back, while the second continued to haul the chest onward.

A day later, the first brother felt ashamed and decided to return and catch up to the second.

It was too late. The second brother had not quite made it to the summit; he had collapsed and died from exhaustion.

After burying his brother, the surviving one carried the chest to the top and opened it.

The chest turned out to be empty.

And so, the surviving brother founded the Akatori Temple on the mountain—to instill resilience in orphans and foundlings.

— Mako, what is this nonsense? — Actually, Akatori, it's a parable about how your temple was founded… — Three idiots. One, knowing no one would refuse him, sent his sons off God knows where, with God knows what. Another killed himself over it. And the third, not only did he lose his nerve, but he also took it upon himself to teach others what he himself had failed at! — And that's how some people become teachers…

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