The strings of the harp

By Staff

Zen Story
There were two close friends in China of whom one was a harper who made mellifluous music with his harp and his comrade an avid listener.

When the friend played the harp or sang about a mountain, the listener friend would say, "I can see the mountain in front of us". When he played about the water, the listener would say : "Here is the running stream".

One day the listener fell ill and died. The other friend cut the strings of his harp and ceased to play it again. Since then cutting of the harp string became a sign of intimate friendship.