Zen
One day, two young men came to seek the help of a sage.
One of them said with revered subservience, "Respected guru, we have traveled a long way to meet you in person. We have heard of your wisdom. We are brothers, and our parents fight constantly. Since our childhood, we have witnessed mental and physical violence. As a result, we are extremely anxious in everyday situations. Please help us overcome this accumulated anxiety."
The sage remained silent, gazing intently at the two men. Then, he stood up, motioned for them to come closer, and slapped them both. In a calm, clinical voice, he asked, "Can you instantly erase the imprint of my palm from your faces?"
Before the men could fully comprehend and respond, the sage quietly returned to his cottage.
@BlatantHonesty
Hah. What a fun ending, love it.
@BlatantHonesty Oh, your story kind of reminded me of this another story from a K-drama I watched, though I can’t remember all the details. It’s about a boy who had constant nightmares... always haunted by painful memories. He was so scared of sleeping that he went to a witch and begged her to take away all his bad memories in exchange for his soul.
Fast forward years later, he’s an adult, no more nightmares—but still not happy. Then one night, the witch comes to collect. He’s furious and asks her why he’s still miserable without his bad memories. She takes his soul and tells him something like, "Only those who’ve been through pain and regret can truly grow and find happiness. Without those memories, your soul will never grow.".... I might be getting some details wrong, -- but that was the gist. I just wish the soul could grow without all that pain (how can u tell people with PTSD that it all happened for a reason, it seems fvcked up to me)… I definitely didn’t sign up to be life’s toughest soldier. But yeah, life is life, i guess?