One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.

What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?

The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.

Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.

Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.

The responses to the second question also lacked accord.

One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.

The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.

The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.

Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.

The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?"

The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.

After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.

At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."

"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.

"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."

The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.

The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."

"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.

 一天有個圣人告訴一個皇帝說，如果他知道三個問題的答案，從此他將不再迷惑。

“何時是作每一件事情的最佳時刻？誰是最重要的合作者？無論何時，最重要的事情是什么？”

皇帝向全國頒布了一道法令，稱提供正確答案的人將得到豐厚的獎勵。許多人一得到消息就即刻前往皇宮，每人都有不同的答案。

針對第一個問題，有人建議：制作一個詳盡的時間表，給每小時、每天、每月、每年都規定好任務，并嚴格執行。只有這樣才能在最佳時刻完成每一項任務。

另一個人提出：預先準確計劃是不可能的，皇帝應該戒除空虛的休閑娛樂活動，專注于每一件事情來確定何時應該完成什么事情。

也有人主張自己的論點：僅靠皇帝一個人的遠見和精力來決定何時完成每一項任務是不現實的，皇帝應該建立智囊團來輔佐他的事務。

還有人說：處理問題需要快速決策，根本來不及磋商，但如果皇帝想要預知即將發生的事情，他應該咨詢術士和占卜師。

針對第二個問題，依然眾說紛紜。

一個人說皇帝應該完全信任他的大臣們，另一個人力勸皇帝倚靠牧師和僧侶，還有人推薦醫生。當然，也有尚武的人認為應該信任軍隊。

第三個問題也引出了各種各樣的答案。有人說科技最重要，有人說宗教最重要，還有人堅持軍事力量最重要。

皇帝對這些答案并不滿意，也沒有給予獎勵。

經過幾天深思，皇帝決定去拜訪一位居住在深山的隱士，據說這是一位智者。盡管這位智者從不離開深山，只接待窮人，并拒絕結交權貴，皇帝仍然希望能找到他并向他求教。因此皇帝假扮成農民獨自爬山尋找智者，而命仆人們在山腳下等候。

當皇帝到達智者的住處時，智者正在棚屋前的花園里耕作。他看到陌生人時沒有停下手里的活，只是對皇帝點頭致意。這是一位老人，農活顯然是艱苦的，他每鋤地一次，都帶著沉重的呼吸。

皇帝靠近他說：“我此行是向你請教三個問題：何時是作每一件事情的最佳時刻？誰是最重要的合作者？無論何時，最重要的事情是什么？”

智者專心傾聽，之后拍拍皇帝的肩膀便繼續干活了。皇帝說：“你一定累了，我來幫你吧。”智者道謝并給他鐵鍬，然后坐在旁邊休息了。

鋤了兩行之后，皇帝又向智者提出了那三個問題。智者還是沒有回答，站起來說：“你怎么不休息一下？我能把這些活干完。”但皇帝沒有停下來。時間一分一秒地過去了，直至太陽西垂。皇帝放下鐵鍬，對智者說：“我來是為了向你求教。但如果你不能幫助我就告訴我，我好盡快趕路回家去。”

智者抬起頭問：“你有沒有聽到有人正在跑過來？”皇帝順著智者指的方向望去。一個留著長長的白胡子的人從樹林里跑出來。他趔趄地跑著，雙手按著腹部的傷口。他徑直向皇帝跑來，但終于不省人事跌倒了。皇帝和智者解開傷者的衣服，發現他身受重傷。皇帝徹底清洗了他的傷口并用自己的襯衫包扎，但一會兒便被鮮血浸透了。他反復清洗襯衫反復包扎，直到傷口止住血。

傷者終于恢復了神智，他要求喝水。皇帝從溪邊取回一壺水，此時太陽完全沉入地平線，夜色彌漫，漸漸冷了下來。智者和皇帝合力將傷者抬入棚屋，放在在智者的床上休息。傷者安靜地入睡了。皇帝經過一天的爬山和沉重的勞作，衣衫已經襤褸，并且累壞了，他靠在門口，也睡著了。醒來時太陽已經高懸。片刻之后他記起了此行的目的。他發現床上的人困惑地看著他。傷者凝視著皇帝，然后發出一聲虛弱的低語：“請饒恕我。”

“但你作了什么事情，要我饒恕你呢？”皇帝問道。

“你不認識我，陛下，但我卻認識你。我是你的死敵，在最近一次戰爭中你殺死了我的兄弟，搶走了我的財產，因此我發誓要向你復仇。當我得知你只身尋找智者時，我決定在你返回時伏擊你。但等了很久也不見你下山，所以我離開埋伏的部隊，前來搜尋你的下落。但我卻碰到了你的仆人們，他們將我打成重傷。幸運的是，我逃脫并來到這里。如果沒有遇見你我肯定已經死了。我原本想要殺你，而你卻救了我的命！我對你的羞愧和感激無以言表。如果我能活下來，此生我將作你忠實的仆人，并吩咐我的后代也忠于你。請賜予我寬恕吧。”

皇帝一陣狂喜，輕易就化解了一個仇敵。他不僅寬恕了這個人，還承諾歸還他的全部財產，并派遣自己的醫生和仆人前去照料他直到他康復為止。給仆人們吩咐妥當之后，皇帝又回來見智者。回皇宮之前他想最后一次請教智者。此時智者正在昨天鋤過的土地上播種。

智者站起身來看著皇帝，“但是你的問題已經有答案了。”

“是什么？”皇帝問道，一臉困惑。

“昨天，如果你沒有憐憫我的年齡幫我鋤地的話，你將會被伏擊。然后你就會后悔沒有待在我這里。所以最重要的時間是你幫我鋤地的時間，最重要的人是我，最重要的事情是幫助我。

之后，當傷者跑上山來，最重要的時間是你包扎他傷口的時候，因為如果你沒有照料他，他可能已經死了，并且你無法和他和解。同樣，他也是最重要的人，最重要的事情就是照料他。

記住，只有一個最重要的時刻，那就是現在，只有現在的時光是我們可以支配的。最重要的人是你身邊的人，正在你眼前的人，因為沒人知道你將來會和什么人打交道。最重要的事情是使你身邊的人——那些與你同一戰線的人——快樂，因為孤獨正是生命的追求。”