Stone Cutter’s Dream

In a small village at the edge of a vast mountain range lived a humble Stone Cutter. Each day, he would rise with the first rays of dawn, pick up his tools, and make his way to the mountainside. His job was hard, chipping away at rocks under the hot sun, yet he accepted his lot and worked diligently. However, deep within him, a wish stirred. He dreamed of a life beyond his simple existence, a life of wealth, power, and ease.

One afternoon, as he sat on a rock catching his breath, he looked up to the mountain and said aloud, "If only I could be as powerful as the mountain, then I would be truly content." Suddenly, the air around him shimmered, and he felt an unfamiliar strength surge through his body. In an instant, the Stone Cutter was transformed into a towering mountain, unshakable and strong, rising above the world.

At first, he was delighted with his new form. He felt the wind rustling through his cliffs and the sun’s warmth on his peaks. But soon, he noticed dark clouds gathering overhead. Before long, heavy rain fell, eroding his sides, loosening his stones, and reducing him slowly. Frustrated, he thought, "The rain is stronger than the mountain. "I wish to be rain, for that is true power."

As if by magic, the Stone Cutter transformed into rain. He poured over the land, sweeping over fields and filling rivers. He felt unstoppable until he reached the great sea. There, his waters blended with the ocean, lost and swallowed in its vast depths. "The sea is greater than rain," he thought. "If I could be the sea, then I would be content."

Again, his wish was granted, and he became the mighty sea. He surged with waves that crashed onto shores and filled the earth with his presence. But soon, he felt the pull of the sun, which evaporated parts of him into mist and clouds. His power was no match for the sun's might. He wished to become the sun, for he believed it to be the greatest power of all.

Transformed once more, the Stone Cutter rose into the sky as the sun, shining brightly over the earth. He was filled with energy, illuminating the world, but soon he realized that even he could not shine through every corner; clouds would block his rays, and he felt limited. "The clouds must be stronger," he reasoned. And with a wish, he became a mighty cloud.

As a cloud, he floated through the sky, casting shadows and bringing rain. He moved freely over mountains, seas, and valleys. Yet one day, he found himself caught in a fierce storm. The wind tore through him, scattering his essence. Feeling powerless once more, he sighed, "The wind must be stronger than I. I wish to be the wind."

The Stone Cutter became the wind, sweeping over mountains and valleys, rushing through the trees and across the plains. He felt liberated, moving with a freedom he had never known. But as he blew through the mountainside one day, he noticed a colleague stone cutter chipping away at rocks, unmoved by his gusts. No matter how fiercely he blew, the man stood firm, dedicated to his work. He realized that despite his transformations, he had overlooked the true strength in life. Then, he realized his dream had brought him back to where he had begun, as a stone cutter. This time, however, he embraced his life with new gratitude, realizing that true power and contentment came not from changing oneself but from embracing one’s purpose, no matter how humble it may seem.

Reflection:

Like the Stone Cutter, the dreamer, we may wish for different lives, but contentment is often closer than we think, rooted in the value of who we already are.