A little stream flowed down from a high mountain far, far away through many villages and forests, until it reached a desert. The stream then thought, "I've been through countless obstacles. I should have no problem crossing this desert!" But when she decided to start her journey, she found herself gradually disappearing into the mud and sand. After numerous tries, she found it was all in vain and was very upset. "Maybe it's my destiny! I'm not destined to reach the vast ocean in the legend," she murmured dejectedly to herself.
At this time, a deep voice came, saying, "If a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river."
It was the voice of the desert. Unconvinced, the little stream replied, "That's because a breeze can fly, but I cannot."
"That's because you stick to what you are. If you're willing to give it up, and let yourself evaporate into the breeze, it can take you across, and you can reach your destination," said the desert in its deep voice.
The little stream had never heard of such a thing. "Give up what I am now and disappear into the breeze? No! No!" She could not accept this idea. After all, she had never experienced anything like it before. Wouldn't it be self-destruction to give up what she was now?
"How do I know if this is true?" asked the little stream.
"The breeze can carry the vapor（蒸汽） across the desert and release it as rain at an appropriate site. The rain will form a river again to continue its course," answered the desert very patiently.
"Will I still be what I am now?" asked the little stream.
"Yes, and no. Whether you're a river or invisible vapor, your inner nature never changes. You stick to the fact that you're a river because you don't know your inner nature," answered the desert.
Deep down, the stream vaguely remembered that before she became a river, it was perhaps also the breeze that had carried her halfway up a high mountain, where she turned into rain and fell onto the ground and became what she was now. Finally the little stream gathered her courage and rushed into the open arms of the breeze, which carried her to the next stage of her life.
The course of our lives is like the experience of little stream. If you want to surpass the obstacles in your life in order to head for the destination of Truth, Virtue and beauty, you should also have the wisdom and courage to renounce your ego (attachment to yourself).
Perhaps you can try asking yourself these questions: What is my inner nature? What is it that I cling to? and What is it that I really want?
相关单词：countless
countless解释：adj.无数的，多得不计其数的
countless例句：
In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
相关单词：decided
decided解释：adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
decided例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
相关单词：destined
destined解释：adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的
destined例句：
It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
相关单词：vapor
vapor解释：n.蒸汽，雾气
vapor例句：
The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。
相关单词：vaguely
vaguely解释：adv.含糊地，暖昧地
vaguely例句：
He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。
相关单词：halfway
halfway解释：adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
halfway例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。
相关单词：virtue
virtue解释：n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
virtue例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
相关单词：renounce
renounce解释：v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系
renounce例句：
She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。
相关单词：ego
ego解释：n.自我，自己，自尊
ego例句：
He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。
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