Pickled Vegetable Superman Part XIV - Pickled Vegetables and Pigs

The Fourteenth Cucumber Superhero and the Pig

Since setting the goal of surpassing heaven, he had started to work hard again. The result was very tiring, and the effect was not great, getting further and further away from heaven. Practicing like this, he gradually developed anxiety and depression. After getting sick, let alone surpassing heaven and roses, Cucumber couldn't even be a superhero anymore. He couldn't control his own emotions and often felt inexplicably upset and anxious.

That day, he saw the pig lying peacefully on the grass sunbathing, and he admired it greatly. He went up to ask for advice on happiness. The pig said something to him that greatly inspired him. Cucumber decided to take the pig as his teacher and learn the secrets of happiness and joy from him. In the second story of Cucumber Superhero - Cucumber and the Butterfly.

Cucumber took others as his teacher, they all have their own skills. Now Cucumber takes the pig as his teacher. What do you think the pig can do besides eating and sleeping? Of course, the pig has another use, which is his name can be used to insult people, but is this useful for Cucumber?

After saying so much, but this is just our understanding. Let's see how Cucumber understands it below.

Cucumber believed: Although pigs are greedy and lazy, they have a good temper and personality. People say: personality is destiny. Since the pig has a good personality, its fate isn't bad either. Although it only lives one or two years, during these one or two years, the pig doesn't have to guard the house at night like a dog, doesn't have to dig for food in the soil every day like a chicken, and doesn't have to build its own nest like a swallow. It also doesn't have to worry about clothing, food, housing, and transportation like us humans. The pig can eat without worry, wear without worry, and live without worry. Therefore, the pig is broad-minded and plump, with a face like Buddha. Besides, the pig has a good mentality and never compares itself with others. Even if you kick it a few times, it will only grunt a little, unlike a dog that will definitely jump up and bite you if you kick it once. The only defect of the pig is that it lives too short a life, but although life is short, there are no regrets.

All the above advantages of the pig are secondary. The key is the words the pig said that day, which greatly impressed Cucumber.

That day, the pig lay on the grass, basking in the sun while stretching out its voice to Cucumber: "Cucumber, don't you see humans? They are very capable. They can fly in the sky like birds and dive into the deep sea like fish. They can eat all of us animals and push down mountains, fill in the sea. But what does that matter? They can do everything, suppose, but they are not as happy as I am. Look at how capable they are, actually they are very pitiful because they themselves don't know. When they think, God laughs. And yet they still claim to fight against heaven and earth. As a result, everyone's life is filled with tears, setbacks, and pain. Everyone is pursuing happiness and joy, but happiness and joy are often visible but unattainable for everyone. They don't know that the more they chase happiness, the more happiness drifts away from them like soap bubbles because they always set me and what I want... as goals, rushing straight towards them at all costs. Countless humans rush forward one after another, persevering towards the happiness they define, like moths rushing towards light but ending up burning themselves. They get exhausted and scarred, then blame heaven for being unfair and complain about how hard it is to be human. They never wake up and realize that the happiness they pursue is a soap bubble that looks like happiness, not real happiness. They always think they are smart and believe in themselves, so God often laughs at them as they trip over themselves."

Because of these words from the pig, Cucumber insisted on taking the pig as his teacher.

After becoming a disciple, the pig began to teach him: the heart should be calm, desires should be few, contentment brings constant joy. And let him chant it repeatedly, while letting Cucumber practice yoga, Tai Chi, and other slow movements.

After practicing for a while, when Cucumber slowly calmed down and gradually forgot about surpassing heaven and roses, the pig taught him: life is a dream, all things are empty, if you really understand, let the wind pass through your head.

When Cucumber slowly became serene and was no longer troubled by external matters, the pig taught him: no self, no self, no self, no self. And told him that no self is a very high realm. Ordinary people are always thinking about themselves all day long, all troubles and joys are related to the word 'I'. Their brains are preoccupied with human affairs, their own affairs all day, so it's hard for them to achieve no self. Therefore, if a person can reach the state of no self, they transcend humanity and get closer to heaven.

At first, Cucumber felt lost when he started no self, feeling unable to find himself or roses. But gradually, he entered the state of no self. At this point, Cucumber often forgot his own existence and the world's existence. This gave him another world, a transparent and wonderful world, where the sky was bluer, the water clearer, everything was clear and tranquil, without any noise or greed. He existed like a wisp of smoke or a breeze.

He felt he was just starting to truly enter the realm of a superhero.

Then, the pig taught him: transcend self, transcend self, transcend self, transcend self. Since transcending self instead of surpassing heaven, Cucumber changed again. He began to perceive the beauty of the world but still forgot his own existence. This made him unconsciously do many things that benefited society and nature without expecting any reward. Although there was no reward, he felt he lived very freely and happily. He was like a speck of dust floating between heaven and earth, able to wander in ancient Greece five thousand years ago or travel in modern China.

At this point, Cucumber was no longer Cucumber, but the true Cucumber Superhero.

Cucumber Superhero was very grateful to his mentor Mr. Pig, thinking he was the embodiment of wisdom and virtue.

From then on, some of his descendants stopped eating pork.