This story is copyright (2004)
A thought source suggested it would be good To record a story I heard at a meditation course In answer to a question raising the merit Of shopping around from system of meditation To system of meditation: There was once a man Who's well ran dry. He dug another one But found no water. He tried another place; Still no water. He had finished his tenth unsuccessful well And was starting on his eleventh When a saint came by And asked him what he was doing. He told the saint About the well that had run dry And showed him all the unsuccessful wells. "How deep are you going?" The saint inquired. "As deep as the one that used to have water - twenty-five feet," The man replied defensively. The saint told him to choose one of the wells And dig deeper. He did so. The saint came back a month later And sure enough He had found water. That is the end Of the story I heard But I can't resist Carrying on With a sequel That presented itself while recording The above And which further contemplation Later refined: The saint was about to go When he caught sight Of something shining, Shimmering, White. He scooped up some clay And blissfully Surveyed a largish diamond. He spontaneously kicked A mound of earth And there were two more! He called across to the man Who was watering his vegetable garden "Do know you've found a diamond mine?" "Sure," came the man's voice, "So what?" And he kept on watering. "Do you mind if I take a few diamonds?" The saint called. "Back came the reply: "Sure - go ahead." The saint travels on And comes upon a HUGE mound of clay and rock. At the bottom a man is resting Beside a gaping hole In the earth. "What are you doing," asked the saint. "I'm looking for fossils," the man replied. "That's a lot of rocks!" the saint exclaimed, "How deep have you gone?" "About two thousand feet" "Have you thought of trying somewhere else?" Asked the saint. "But do you know How long it's taken me To get this far?" complained the man, "Legends say there were dinosaurs here." And he went back to his digging. The saint was about to go When he caught sight Of something shining, Shimmering, White. He scooped up some clay And blissfully Surveyed an impressive diamond. He spontaneously kicked A mound of earth And there were three more! He called down to the hole in the ground: "Do you know you've located a diamond mine?" "Yes," came a voice from the ground, Slightly muffled, "But I it’s fossils that I want." "Do you mind if I pick up a few diamonds?" The saint called down. "Sure," came the reply, "Go ahead." And he kept on With his digging.FOOTNOTE: