The Tortoise and the Hare

Face it. Even though the moral of Aesop’s fable is “Slow and steady wins the race,” we all secretly relate more to the hare. It’s all very well for the tortoise to plod along steadily, reaching his goals in an unassuming manner, but where’s the fun, where is the excitement, where is the rush of wind against his face? Must one be slow, serious, and steady (read: boring) in order to succeed? Was it mere frivolity that cost Hare the race?

Tortoise is content with his methods. He puts one foot down at a time, finishing one step before starting another. Meanwhile, Hare has been running in circles, taking side trips, and gleefully expending more energy than necessary to complete the footrace. The outcome of the competition hinged on an error in judgment by Mr. Hare. He judges the tortoise to be so very, very slow that there will be plenty of time for a snooze.

Hare was faster, the obvious winner. He was no fool; he knew what was needed to win, and he did that and more. We blame the nap, the overweening confidence that made Hare think he could snooze and still not lose. We blame the extravagant expenditure of energy, that he gave more than the task required. But brazen confidence has won many a race, and extra effort needn't be detrimental. So what happened here?

Judgment happened. The hare made a judgment about the tortoise that cost him the race. He scoffed and decided he, Hare, was the better of the two and that better wins out. Tortoise, on the other hand, let Hare be Hare. He took Eckhart Tolle’s advice to live in the Now. He kept his mind on what he was doing and didn’t get swept up in the maelstrom around him. It was attitude, not method, which succeeded.

Look at the tortoise’s gentle smile. He’s a Buddha.

(Photo from woondu.com)

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