In a small village by the edge of a river, there lived a monk who was known for his deep compassion and unwavering commitment to all living beings. Each morning, he would walk along the riverbank to meditate and reflect on his teachings.

One crisp morning, as the monk walked by the river, he noticed a scorpion struggling in the water. Without hesitation, the monk reached down to rescue the scorpion, but as he did so, the scorpion stung him. With a sharp pain searing through his hand, the monk instinctively pulled back and the scorpion fell back into the river.

The monk paused for a moment, looking at his swelling hand, but his resolve did not waver. He reached out again to save the struggling scorpion, and again the scorpion stung him. This time, a passerby who was watching the scene unfold called out to the monk.

“Revered Monk,” the passerby yelled, “why do you continue to save the scorpion when it clearly means to harm you?”

The monk, with gentle eyes and a calm voice, replied, “It is the nature of the scorpion to sting. It knows no other way. But it is my nature to save and show compassion. Should I abandon my nature just because the scorpion follows its own?”

The monk carefully scooped up the scorpion once more, this time managing to place it gently on the riverbank before it could sting again. He wrapped his swollen hand in a piece of cloth and continued his walk, his spirit undeterred.

“People call me wise, but I am not,” the monk later explained to his disciples. “I simply do not overrule my nature with anger or fear. The scorpion does what it does out of instinct. I choose what I do out of understanding and love.”