ALTERATION 09/visual art by RYOJI IKEDA

One wise man took an empty jug and filled it to the top with small stones. He gathered his disciples and asked them the first question: “Tell me, dear ones, is my jar full?” To which they replied: “Yes, full.“ Then the sage took a full jar of peas and poured the contents into a jug with stones. Peas took a free place between the stones. The sage asked the second question: “Is my jar full now?” The disciples again confirmed that it was full. Then the sage took a box of sand and poured it into a jug too. The sand seeped through the peas and stones and took up all the free space and covered everything. Once again the sage asked his disciples if the jug was full and again heard an affirmative answer. Then the wise man took out a mug full of water and poured it into the jar to the last drop. The students laughed as they saw this. The wise man said: “I wanted you to realize that the jar is our life. Stones are the most important component of everyone’s life: children, family, friends, health. Peas are things that are nice to have, but this is not the most important thing: a house, work, car, valuables, etc. Sand symbolizes the little things that are full in the life of any person. If you first fill the jug with sand, there will be no room for peas, much less stones. It’s the same in life: if you spend time on trifles, there will be no time left for the most important thing. At first, devote time to your family and friends, yourself and friends, and there will always be time to do cleaning, repair. You should first spend time on stones, everything else is sand. The sage was about to leave when one of the students asked the question: “What was the water for?” The teacher replied with a smile, “I added water to the jug to show you that no matter how busy life is, there is always a place for idleness.“ Directed by RYOJI IKEDA Music: