This amazing scene from Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… reflects profound teachings rooted in Zen, focusing on compassion and the weight of karmic consequences. a young Shami (novice monk) goes around harming animals near the temple, tying stones to a snake, fish and a frog a forbidden act in Zen Buddhism to disrupt the natural order and causing suffering to the creatures.
Having seen the boy’s actions one day the master waits until the boy is asleep and then ties a stone to the his back. The master does this so the boy can feel the same burden and pain that he inflicted on the animals. The master’s intention is to teach the boy compassion, showing that harming other beings no matter how small, reveals a lack of awareness and empathy.
The powerful lesson comes when the master instructs the boy to go and relieve the animals of their pain and suffering. The master tells the shami that if the snake or fish are dead the boy will carry the weight of that stone in his heart for the rest of his life. This is a reminder of our actions and their consequences that stay with us throughout our lives. Some actions we take never truly leave us, like throwing a stone into a still pond creating ripples that continue to spread endlessly. Indeed like throwing a stone into a still pond…