How do you look upon the Day?

Japanese Flowers

While reading a book by Yoritomo Tashi called “Common Sense How To Exercise It” Publish in 1915 I came across this piece which I thought I would share with you.

“ A Japanese prince, on awakening, one day, demanded lazily of his servants what kind of weather it was, but be forbade them to raise the awnings which kept a cool, dim light in his room and shielded his eyes from the strong light from without.  The two servants left him reclining upon his divan and went into the adjoining room, where the stained-glass windows were not hung with curtains.

One of them, putting his face close to a yellow –tinted pane of glass, exclaimed in admiration of the beautiful garden, bathed in the early morning sunlight.  The second one, directing his gaze to a dark blue pane and looking through the centre remarked to his companion I see no sunshine the day is dreary and the clouds cast gloomy shadows upon the horizon.

Each one returned to relate their impressions of the weather and the prince wondered at the different visions unable to understand the reason.

There, concluded the Shogun, that is what happens to people who do not practise moderation, those who see things through the medium of enthusiasm refuse to recognise that they could be deprived of brilliancy and beauty.

The others, those who look upon things from a pessimistic standpoint, never find anything in them save pretext for pouring out their hearers’ tales of woe and misery”.

Yoritomo –Tashi – Common Sense How to exercise it