Long ago, in a remote land, an old chief fell gravely ill. To choose a successor, he summoned the three most exceptional young men from the tribe and said, 'I am soon to depart. Do one last thing for me: you know that sacred mountain I have revered all my life? I want you to climb it as high as you can. Remember, reach the very summit, and return to tell me what you saw.'
The young men understood his intent perfectly and immediately set off. Halfway there, the first young man thought, 'In terms of physical strength, I cannot compete with the other two. If I climb to the summit and back, the chieftainship might already belong to someone else. I am too capable to let such an opportunity slip away.' Thus, he decided to return early. To provide an excuse, he went to the foot of the mountain to observe the scenery. Upon returning to the chief, he eagerly proclaimed, 'Chief, I have reached the summit! I saw bubbling springs, paths lined with flowers, lush greenery, and heard the sweet singing of birds. It was magnificent.' The chief shook his head, 'Child, a place filled with such blossoms and birdsong is not the summit; it is merely the foot of the mountain.'
The second young man, reaching the mid-mountain, began to doubt himself: 'This mountain is two thousand meters high, and reaching the top will take at least half a day. If I fall behind, I will surely lose my chance at the chieftainship. It is better to return now and tell the chief about the view here; after all, mid-mountain is not much different from the summit.' He turned back and said, 'Chief, I have reached the summit! I saw majestic pine forests and eagles circling the cliffs.' The chief sighed, as if talking to himself, 'Alas, child, that is not the summit, but only the mid-mountain.'
Finally, there was only the third young man. He did not return, even as night fell. An hour passed, then two... just as the tribe began to worry for his safety, he suddenly stumbled into the chief's home, exhausted, disheveled, and parched. When asked about the summit, his tired eyes suddenly lit up: 'The summit is actually empty; there is nothing but the howling wind and the vast, reaching sky. All I could see was myself—the profound sense of my own insignificance amidst the universe. In that moment, I forgot all my pride and satisfaction, and felt a deep sense of shame for my former conceit.'
'Good boy!' the chief said with a smile. 'You have reached the true summit. According to our tradition, I shall appoint you as the new chief. Blessings upon you!'
It turns out, the very top of the mountain is emptiness. As the saying goes, 'Life is finite, but knowledge is infinite.' Our understanding of the world is like a circle; the space within is limited, while the space without is boundless. Only after climbing high and seeing far can one reflect on oneself and realize that while heaven and earth are infinite, man is but a tiny speck. To believe oneself extraordinary is but a shallow pursuit.
