It is said that a wise master walked with his student in a dense forest. Approaching the edge of the river, they saw a buffalo and its son at the edge of the water. Suddenly, a tiger appears looking for water.
Quickly, the buffalo pushed its little son in front of him and left the place.
The master addressed his student in a low voice:
– What do you think of what happened?
– The buffalo is coward, it avoids confrontation and run away, replied the student spontaneously.
– What else can it do? Asked the master gently.
– It can courageously rip its enemy with its pointed horns, said the student.
– Can you imagine the possible consequences in a likely confrontation?
– The first possibility is that the buffalo overcomes the tiger, kills it with a fatal attack. The second possibility is the victory of the tiger by killing the buffalo and its son, explained the student.
– Do you see that the two possibilities ends in tragedy? Asked the master. The first possibility that you mentioned causes the injury or death of the tiger, and it is a great loss. For the second possibility, it’s the death of the buffalo and its son, and it is even worse.
After a deep silence, the master announced wisely:
Do you know that the buffalo made the right choice? By avoiding confrontation, there is no loss and there is no risks.