Too many strawberries

There is a famous Zen Buddhist story that tells of a man being pursued by a ferocious tiger. He naturally runs away but presently finds himself trapped at the edge of a steep cliff. As the tiger approaches ever closer the man spots a vine hanging over the edge and, realising this is his only way to safety, grabs it and starts to lower himself down. About half-way he notices to his horror that at the bottom of the cliff there is another tiger, equally ferocious, waiting for him.

As he wonders what to do he notices that two mice have started to gnaw at the vine and that before too long it will give way and he will fall to his death. Just then he sees a wild strawberry growing on a ledge nearby. He picks and eats it - how wonderfully sweet it tastes!

The story is usually interpreted as stressing the importance of living in the present moment (by enjoying the pleasure of the strawberry despite the pressure of time) but as I become older the desire to retreat from transitory pleasure grows ever stronger, and I suspect I might have had too many strawberries and not enough time thinking about the tigers.

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