世间什么才是最珍贵的？

从前，有一座圆音寺，每天都有许多人上香拜佛，香火很旺。在圆音寺庙前的横梁上有个蜘蛛结了张网，由于每天都受到香火和虔诚的祭拜的熏托，蛛蛛便有了佛性。经过了一千多年的修炼，蛛蛛佛性增加了不少。

忽然有一天，佛主光临了圆音寺，看见这里香火甚旺，十分高兴。离开寺庙的时候，不轻易间地抬头，看见了横梁上的蛛蛛。佛主停下来，问这只蜘蛛：“你我相见总算是有缘，我来问你个问题，看你修炼了这一千多年来，有什么真知拙见。怎么样？”蜘蛛遇见佛主很是高兴，连忙答应了。佛主问到：“世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛想了想，回答到：“世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主点了点头，离开了。

这样又过了一千年的光景，蜘蛛依旧在圆音寺的横梁上修炼，它的佛性大增。一日，佛主又来到寺前，对蜘蛛说道：“你可还好，一千年前的那个问题，你可有什么更深的认识吗？”蜘蛛说：“我觉得世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主说：“你再好好想想，我会再来找你的。”

又过了一千年，有一天，刮起了大风，风将一滴甘露吹到了蜘蛛网上。蜘蛛望着甘露，见它晶莹透亮，很漂亮，顿生喜爱之意。蜘蛛每天看着甘露很开心，它觉得这是三千年来最开心的几天。突然，有刮起了一阵大风，将甘露吹走了。蜘蛛一下子觉得失去了什么，感到很寂寞和难过。这时佛主又来了，问蜘蛛：“蜘蛛这一千年，你可好好想过这个问题：世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛想到了甘露，对佛主说：“世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主说：“好，既然你有这样的认识，我让你到人间走一朝吧。”

就这样，蜘蛛投胎到了一个官宦家庭，成了一个富家小姐，父母为她取了个名字叫蛛儿。一晃，蛛儿到了十六岁了，已经成了个婀娜多姿的少女，长的十分漂亮，楚楚动人。

这一日，新科状元郎甘鹿中士，皇帝决定在后花园为他举行庆功宴席。来了许多妙龄少女，包括蛛儿，还有皇帝的小公主长风公主。状元郎在席间表演诗词歌赋，大献才艺，在场的少女无一不被他折倒。但蛛儿一点也不紧张和吃醋，因为她知道，这是佛主赐予她的姻缘。

过了些日子，说来很巧，蛛儿陪同母亲上香拜佛的时候，正好甘鹿也陪同母亲而来。上完香拜过佛，二位长者在一边说上了话。蛛儿和甘鹿便来到走廊上聊天，蛛儿很开心，终于可以和喜欢的人在一起了，但是甘鹿并没有表现出对她的喜爱。蛛儿对甘鹿说：“你难道不曾记得十六年前，圆音寺的蜘蛛网上的事情了吗？”甘鹿很诧异，说：“蛛儿姑娘，你漂亮，也很讨人喜欢，但你想象力未免丰富了一点吧。”说罢，和母亲离开了。

蛛儿回到家，心想，佛主既然安排了这场姻缘，为何不让他记得那件事，甘鹿为何对我没有一点的感觉？

几天后，皇帝下召，命新科状元甘鹿和长风公主完婚；蛛儿和太子芝草完婚。这一消息对蛛儿如同晴空霹雳，她怎么也想不同，佛主竟然这样对她。几日来，她不吃不喝，穷究急思，灵魂就将出壳，生命危在旦夕。太子芝草知道了，急忙赶来，扑倒在床边，对奄奄一息的蛛儿说道：“那日，在后花园众姑娘中，我对你一见钟情，我苦求父皇，他才答应。如果你死了，那么我也就不活了。”说着就拿起了宝剑准备自刎。

就在这时，佛主来了，他对快要出壳的蛛儿灵魂说：“蜘蛛，你可曾想过，甘露（甘鹿）是由谁带到你这里来的呢？是风（长风公主）带来的，最后也是风将它带走的。甘鹿是属于长风公主的，他对你不过是生命中的一段插曲。而太子芝草是当年圆音寺门前的一棵小草，他看了你三千年，爱慕了你三千年，但你却从没有低下头看过它。蜘蛛，我再来问你，世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛听了这些真相之后，好象一下子大彻大吾了，她对佛主说：“世间最珍贵的不是‘得不到’和‘已失去’，而是现在能把握的幸福。”刚说完，佛主就离开了，蛛儿的灵魂也回位了，睁开眼睛，看到正要自刎的太子芝草，她马上打落宝剑，和太子深深的抱着……

故事结束了，你能领会蛛儿最后一刻的所说的话吗？“世间最珍贵的不是‘得不到’和‘已失去’，而是现在能把握的幸福。

Bflygal's comment:
It is a story I obtained from e-mail. Actually even before I finish the story, I know the answer already. And I realised that many times, we are like the spider, we only see what we want to see. For 3 thousands years, she did not once notice the grass and yet she noticed the drop of dew that came into her life for a few days only.

I asked a friend yesterday, why mankind always treat strangers better than their loved ones. Why do we care so much for a stranger, even if you believe he/she will one day be your family? And yet we tend to treat our family shabbily.

I let go, not because of that. I stop thinking, not because I’m afraid or that I know the ending. On the contrary, I don’t know anything. I just don’t want to neglect what is precious to me. I’m back to living a life not for myself, temporarily. The commencement, the interview, if is their wish, I will attend.

I know why I’m lost again. It’s been a long time that I use the excuse that I have not graduate to delay all planning. And when I finally got my results on Saturday, and know that I finally graduate, my initial thoughts were relief. But people started asking me what my future plans are, do I want to continue studying, do I plan to make any major changes.

By Sunday, my mood got very foul especially when I was reminded to book the hotel… Sigh I hate the agency for making empty promises. Even till now, I still have problem trying to confirm the hotel booking. And I’m supposed to look through the itinerary too zzzz… I ended up mulling at home the whole of Sunday till my mum asked me to send my aunt to another aunt’s home after which I decided to send my aunt home since I know where she stay. I guess it was a plan to force me out of the house though I still couldn’t drag myself to Bugis, thus I ended up jogging to Pasir Ris Park again and stared at the calm blue sea for an answer.

However I went home with no answer in mind. In fact, I most probably will not have any answer till the commencement is over. I think I will shut down again (haha my friend said I shut down that period when I was worrying about my network security exam) and just lead a life where they make the decisions for me. It’s a very escapist viewpoint but for now, this is the only way I can figure out how to appreciate them and the present.