There is a fable about a very lazy family: every day, the father refused to do chores and called the mother; the mother was also too lazy and called the children; the children refused to do it and called the little dog. Having no choice, the dog had to sweep the floor with its tail, wipe the tables and chairs with its body, and even carry water in its mouth to water the plants.
One day, a guest arrived and was astonished to see the dog doing housework. "Oh! The dog is so capable, it even does chores!" the guest exclaimed. The dog replied, "There is no other way; they won't do anything, so they call me." The guest was shocked: "The dog can talk!" The dog quickly gestured to the guest: "Shh! Don't let them know I can talk, otherwise they'll expect me to answer the phone too!"
Humans are born with hands to work and feet to walk. Our eyes to see, ears to hear, and mouths to speak are innate abilities. If we do not utilize them, are we not wasting our existence?
As the Western proverb says: "Gold flows in with the tide, but you must wake up early to scoop it up." While many believe in divine wealth, if fortune comes, one must be prepared to receive it with diligence. Even if a pancake is placed before you, if you are too lazy to even turn it around while eating, you deserve your hunger.
In reality, most people are not truly lazy. To see more clearly, humans invented microscopes and telescopes; to hear further, they invented loudspeakers, radios, and televisions; to move faster, they invented bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. We constantly strive to push the boundaries of our natural abilities.
Laziness and poverty are often inseparable. Laziness leads to poverty, and poverty can lead to laziness—a vicious cycle. To change one's destiny and escape poverty, one must abandon laziness and embrace diligence.
For students, true learning requires the coordination of mouth, eyes, hands, and mind. For practitioners, it requires the harmony of body, speech, and mind to connect with the divine.
As the saying goes: "If you do not sow in spring, how can you expect a harvest in autumn?" Without labor, there can be no achievement. A lazy person, no matter how talented, will never utilize their strengths, which is truly a tragic waste of natural talent.
