People often wonder what is most precious in life. Some say it is what we cannot obtain; others, what we have already lost. Life cannot be repeated, and happiness that has slipped away cannot be reclaimed. Things out of reach always seem mysterious and alluring, making them appear even more precious. Yet as one ancient story reveals, what we seek may not be what truly matters most.
The spider’s long cultivation
Long ago, at Yuanyin Temple, a spider spun its web on a beam above the entrance. Each day it was bathed in incense smoke and surrounded by the prayers of worshipers. Over a thousand years of quiet cultivation, it gradually gained wisdom.
One day, the Buddha visited the temple. As he prepared to leave, he looked up and saw the spider. “It seems we are fated to meet,” he said. “Let me ask a question to see what wisdom you’ve gained in all these years. Tell me, what is the most precious thing in the world?”
The spider thought for a moment and replied: “It is what we cannot obtain and what we have already lost.” The Buddha nodded gently and departed.
A thousand years passed. The Buddha returned and asked again: “Have you come to understand that question more deeply?” The spider gave the same answer. The Buddha smiled and said: “Think carefully. I will return once more.”
A drop of dew and a lesson in attachment
Another thousand years passed. One morning, a gust of wind blew a sparkling drop of dew onto the spider’s web. It was crystal clear and beautiful beyond words. The spider watched it day after day, filled with joy it had never known in three thousand years. But before long, another strong wind swept the dew away. The spider felt emptiness and loss it could not bear.
When the Buddha returned and asked again: “Have you thought more about what is most precious?” the spider, still mourning the lost dew, replied: “It is what we cannot obtain and what we have already lost.”
The Buddha said: “Then you shall go to the human world and experience life for yourself.”
The human life of Zhu’er
The spider was reborn into a noble family as a girl named Zhu’er. She grew into a graceful young woman, kind-hearted and beautiful. At sixteen, she attended a banquet celebrating the new top scholar, Ganlu, alongside the emperor’s daughter, Princess Changfeng. The young scholar’s brilliance and charm captivated everyone. Zhu’er believed this must be the fate the Buddha had arranged for her.
Some time later, Zhu’er met Ganlu again at the temple. She was overjoyed, yet he showed no affection. “Do you not remember the spider’s web at Yuanyin Temple sixteen years ago?” she asked. Ganlu smiled politely. “You have a lively imagination, Miss Zhu’er,” he said, and left.
Zhu’er’s heart broke. If this love was destined, why did he not remember? Why did he feel nothing?
The awakening of the heart
Before long, the emperor decreed that Ganlu would marry Princess Changfeng, while Zhu’er was to marry the crown prince, Zhicao. The news devastated her. She stopped eating and soon fell gravely ill.
Zhicao, deeply in love with her, knelt by her bed and said: “I fell for you the moment I saw you. If you die, I will not live either.” He lifted a sword to end his life.
At that moment, the Buddha appeared to Zhu’er’s departing soul and said: “Spider, have you thought about who brought the dew — Ganlu — to you? It was the wind, Princess Changfeng, who carried it there and took it away. Ganlu belongs to her. He was only a passing moment in your life. But Zhicao was the little blade of grass outside Yuanyin Temple. He watched you for three thousand years, loved you for three thousand years, and you never once looked down to see him. So tell me again: What is most precious in the world?”
Enlightenment dawned. “It is not what we cannot obtain or what we have lost,” she said softly, “but the happiness we can hold in this moment.”
The Buddha smiled and vanished. Zhu’er’s soul returned to her body. She opened her eyes, saw Zhicao about to strike, and knocked the sword away. They embraced, weeping with gratitude and newfound clarity.
Cherishing the present
What is gone is gone, and what lies ahead remains uncertain. The most precious thing is the happiness we can grasp right now. Cherish what you have — for that is life’s greatest treasure.
Translated by Cecilia
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