Two Choices

A monk offers me two trinkets. In his left hand, he holds a small, white porcelein sphere with a tiny, golden circle on the top of it. In his right, he holds a chunk of coal that has been carved into an asymetrical cube.

I take the porcelein trinket. He frowns, no doubt because I took the more valuable of the two.

The next time you have that dream, I want you to take the coal.

A monk offers me two trinkets. In his left hand, he holds a small, white porcelein sphere with a tiny, golden circle on the top. In his right, he holds a chunk of coal that has been carved into an asymetrical cube.

I take the cube of coal. The monk smiles, no doubt because I have foolishly taken the less valuable trinket. But then he reaches towards my object, and in my hand, crushes the coal into powder.

When he removes his hand, I see sitting in the dust a diamond cut flawlessly.