A traveler was chased by a wild elephant in the wilderness. In an attempt to hide from the animal, he jumped inside a well and hung by a vine that grew out of the wall. Four poisonous snakes crept out from the bottom and tried to bite him. When he was about to climb upwards, two mice, one black and one white, were nibbling on the vine that he was holding onto. Being stuck in the middle, having no way up or down, he became very fright-ened. All of a sudden, five drops of honey from the top of the well dripped directly into his mouth. At that moment, the traveler forgot all the threats confronted by him and indulged in the sweet taste of the honey. What was the reason that these five drops of honey made the traveler forget all the dangers in front of him In reality, these five drops of honey are the five desires{1}: wealth{2}, sex-ual desires{3}, fame{4}, food and drink{5}, and sleep{6}:

1.Wealth: Money and treasures. We need money in order to survive in real life, as food, clothing, and transportation all costs us money. Having our sick-ness treated, and receiving education also need money. In every dynasty and country, we see cor-ruption and robbery. Disputes over assets, and murder occur due to people’s desire for money. There is a saying, “People die for money.” A lot of tragedies happen also because of money.

2.Sex: Sexual love between men and women. Passionate sentient beings often lose their senses in sexual activity, and commit unredeemable wrong-doings because of it too. Unfulfilled desire causes disfigurement and murder in society. In addition, breaking off of love relationships can cause suicide and abandonment. Moreover, affairs can cause disharmony in a family because of sexual desires, and law cases can even arise due to rape and sexual harassment. There is a saying, “instead of delu-sion{7} by form, one is actually self-deluded.”



【Key Words】

{1} Five Desires：五欲
{2} Wealth：財
{3} Sexual Desires：色
{4} Fame：名
{5} Food and Drink：食
{6} Sleep：睡
{7} Delusion：妄念