Parable of the scorpion
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by lebotaja
“Once a scorpion sat upon the bank of a river which was too deep and swift for him to traverse. A frog swam by and the scorpion called out, ‘Frog, carry me upon your back to the other shore!’
“The frog replied, ‘I will not, for you will sting me and I will die.’
“The scorpion said to the frog, ‘But why would I do that? For if I were to do that, I would drown.’
“The frog considered this argument, and at last said, ‘Very well. I shall carry you across the river.’
“So the frog came to the shore and took the scorpion upon his back and halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog.
“With his dying breath, the frog cried out, ‘Why have you done this? For now we will both die!’
“And with his dying breath, the scorpion said, ‘Because it is my nature.’ ”
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Once, a monk and his student sat at the edge of a river in silence.
As they sat a scorpion ambled along the bank and fell into the river.
The monk retrieved it, and was stung on the hand as he set it on the bank.
A short while later, the same scorpion came along the same path and fell in again. The monk retrieved it with the same results.
A third time this happened, but this time the student could not restrain himself.
“Master”, He said, “Why do you keep trying to save that beast, don't you know that it is just going to sting you?”
“Yes, I know it is going to sting me,” answered the monk. “It is the dharma of a scorpion to sting. But it is my dharma to save.”