Everyday Mindfulness

i'm not sure if this is the right place for this.
we use the story below in one of our mindfulness sessions.
from feedback at the last training sessions it was mentioned that someone with difficulties at home or who may have left home may also have problems with this story, even though it ends well.
i was wondering if anyone has come across anything similar that may not cause the same potential problems.
it's about keeping or hanging on to the good things and pushing away things we don't like rather than learning to be more accepting of them.
my mentor has 'suggested' that i might like to see if i can find something similar so any help would be much appreciated and credit given - i won't claim to have found it !! - honest!

mick

"The King’s Story

There once was a king who had three sons. The first was handsome and very popular. When he was twenty-one, his father built a palace in the city for him to live in. The second son was very intelligent and also popular. When he became twenty-one, his father built a second palace in the city for him. The third son was neither handsome nor intelligent, and was unfriendly and unpopular. When he was twenty-one, the king’s councillors said: ‘There is no more room in the city. Have a palace built outside the city for your son. You can have it built so it will be strong. You can send some guards to prevent it being attacked by the ruffians who live outside the walls.’ So the king built such a palace, and sent a few soldiers to protect it.

A year later, the son sent a message to his father. ‘I cannot live here. The ruffians are too strong’. So the councillors said ‘Build another palace, bigger and stronger, twenty miles away from the city and the ruffians. With more soldiers, it will easily withstand attacks from the tribes that pass that way’. So the king built such a palace, and sent 100 soldiers to protect it.

A year later, a message came from the son. ‘I cannot live here. The tribes are too strong’. So the councillors said: ‘Build a castle, a large castle, one hundred miles away. It will be big enough to house 500 soldiers, and strong enough to withstand attacks from the peoples that live over the border. So the king built such a castle, and sent five hundred of his soldiers to protect it.

But a year later, the son sent another message to the king. ‘Father, the attacks of the neighbouring peoples are too strong. They have attacked twice, and if they come a third time I fear for my life and the life of your soldiers’.

And the king said to his councillors. ‘Let him come home and he can live in the palace with me. For it is better that I learn to love my son than that I should spend all the gold of my kingdom keeping him at a distance’."

It's a nice story, but the meaning is perhaps a little bit hard to discern. I am sure that someone on here will come up with a better story for you.

This is one that springs to mind...

There was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "Maybe," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "Maybe," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "Maybe," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "Maybe," said the farmer.

It's an old Taoist parable. Hope it helps.

Jon

That's a great story I made add that to my self soothing folder.

Also thinking of starting a mindfulness folder.

thanks jon,
i'm going to email any stories to my mentor, let her decide!
it does seem a bit obscure just reading it but in the session, after it's been read out, we have a discussion about it, hear peoples experiences of it and explain what it's about, not everyone gets it first time.

Must say, I do like Jenna's idea of a self-soothing folder.
Cracking idea.

the phrase everything happens for a reason comes to mind,, something I firmly believe in,, because in the story if he hadnt been thrown trying to ride the wild horse then he wouldnt have broken his leg and would have been enlisted in the army. We never know what life is going to throw at us, hence mindfulness is a great help.