Summary
The Other Side of Compassion
Once upon a time, there lived an old doctor known for his kindness in a certain village. The villagers loved him and always visited him when they were in trouble. One day, a young man fell ill and sought the old doctor’s help. The doctor, with a warm heart, treated the young man generously. The young man expressed his gratitude and soon regained his health.
However, there was a hidden aspect to the old doctor's kindness. After his recovery, the young man started spreading the word to other villagers that "if you see the old doctor, you will be cured easily." Before long, people from the entire village began flocking to him, and the old doctor became increasingly overwhelmed with work. Furthermore, while the young man shared stories of the doctor’s kindness with the villagers, he hid how much the doctor had spent on his treatment.
The old doctor became exhausted from the daily busyness and gradually fell ill himself, but no one came to visit him anymore. The villagers took his kindness for granted and never paid attention to his health or wellbeing. The old doctor keenly felt that his compassion was being taken advantage of and came to deeply understand the meaning of the saying, "Compassion is not for others."
In the end, he decided to stop selflessly offering compassion to others as he had before, choosing instead to take care of his own health. The villagers were surprised by this change, but the old doctor quietly smiled, resolutely following his new path. As a lesson, he did not forget to engrave in his heart that while it is important to show compassion to others, one must also take care of oneself.
