Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee

September 25, 2008

The following was sent to me by a dear Buddhist friend. I hope you enjoy it.Carrots,Eggs, & CoffeeAcarrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup ofcoffee thesame way again.A young woman went to her mother and told her abouther life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know howshe was goingto make it and wanted to give up, she was tired of fighting andstruggling. Itseemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother tookher to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed eachon a highfire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, inthe secondshe placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. Shelet themsit and boil; without saying a word.In about twenty minutes sheturned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them ina bowl

Shepulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled thecoffee outand placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell mewhat yousee.''Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.Hermother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She didand notedthat they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take anegg and breakit. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiledegg.Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. Thedaughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter thenasked, 'What doesit mean, mother?'Her mother explained that each ofthese objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Eachreacteddifferently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.However, afterbeing subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.The egg hadbeen

fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior,but aftersitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. Theground coffeebeans were unique, however. Afterthey were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.'Whichare you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on yourdoor, how doyou respond?Thinkof this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with painandadversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the eggthat starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did Ihave afluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship orsome othertrial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same,but on theinside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Oram I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,the

verycircumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, itreleases thefragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are attheir worst,you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour isthe darkestand trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to anotherlevel? How doyou handle adversity?Mayyou have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to makeyou strong,enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make youhappy.The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best ofeverything; they just make the most of everything that comes alongtheir way.The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; youcan't goforward in life until you let go of your past failures andheartaches.When you were born, you were crying and everyone aroundyou was smiling.Live your life so at the end,

you're the one whois smiling and everyone around you is crying.You might want tosend this message to those people who mean something to you , tothose who have touched your life in one way or another; to those whomake yousmile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighterside ofthings when you are really down; to those whose friendship youappreciate; tothose who are so meaningful in your life.May we all beCOFFEE!!!!!!!'Om Mani Pedme Hung'Skydancer x