Imminent Death

A Zen Koan.

A man travelling across a field encoutered a tiger.

He ran but the tiger chased after him.

Coming to a cliff face, he grabbed onto a nearby root and swung himself over the edge.

The tiger sniffed and growled at the man from the top of the ledge.

Trembling, he looked down.

Far below, another tiger waited.

Here, the man dangled far above the valley floor with only the vine to support him.

A mouse appeared on the vine and began to gnaw at it.

The man noticed a strawberry was growing nearby.

Holding the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry and took a bite.

He thought to himself — "this is the sweetest strawberry I've ever tasted!"