Buddha preached living in the now. His teachings contain some of the principles that led to Minduflness. Buddhist tales like the poisoned arrow show that we have not developed much since this great thinker.
Buddha's famous saying: “Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate your mind on the present moment.” It seems fair to emphasise this component of Buddhism with the poisoned arrow narrative.
Majjhima Nikaya, a collection of Pali Canon texts attributed to Buddha, including stories like the poisoned arrow. Some say Buddha told one of his most impatient students. The youth sought afterlife answers.
One day, a poisoned arrow injured a man, he told her. He declined treatment when his relatives tried to find a doctor.
The injured man demanded to know who attacked him, his caste, and his origin before any doctor helped him. He also wanted to know his height, strength, skin colour, bow type, and string kind—hemp, silk, or bamboo.
He died without knowing whether his arrow's feathers were vulture, peacock, or hawk and whether his bow was ordinary, curved, or laurel blossom.
Better than a thousand meaningless words is one helpful, calming word.”
-Buddha-
What's the poisoned arrow's message?
This man's death stance is ludicrous. No ? If we take this instance to the extreme, don't we sometimes act like this wounded warrior?
We may unknowingly focus on unimportant concerns to avoid tackling major ones. The heart of the matter is unknown while we probe into minor issues.
In this parable, Buddha is trying to educate his student that knowledge in discerning the significant from the essential can make the difference between overcoming a problem and being overcome by it.
Concentrate on what matters.
Wandering can still be beneficial. Constant rambling without goals is the issue. That is, sometimes it is best to tackle a problem directly and leave the side issues to others. Otherwise, the issue may grow.
Slowly advance
Some people remark, “Olive eaten, stone thrown away.” This simple statement says to focus on the next challenge after solving the first. Another proverb: “He who kisses too much, hugs badly”.
Allow the world to unfold
We let topics control and bother us too much. Perhaps letting things play out is best. Perhaps this will keep your mind clear of worry, anger, despair, and irritation.
Remove the superfluous
Remember that popular sayings are often smart and worth listening to. He who has more needs less, not richer. We sometimes assume we must obtain what we lack to be happy. After getting acquainted to the essentials and deepening your knowledge, you realise you're not missing anything. Love is more valuable than needless, extravagant, or expensive possessions.
“Don’t befriend idiots.”
-Buddha-
Leonardo da Vinci remarked, “Simplicity is the maximum satisfaction”. The same notion drives Buddha's poisoned arrow fable. Two geniuses. No more, right?