THE SPIDER'S THREAD
BRIEF SUMMARY
Akutagawa's
most well-known short story is The Spider's Thread. It's a gorgeous allegory
about good, evil, and redemption. Kandata, the evil criminal sentenced to Hell
for his transgressions, is given a second chance to save himself, thanks to the
Buddha recalling that he had saved the life of a small spider. But when Kandata
tries to save himself at the price of others, his fate is determined for all
time.
REFLECTION AND LESSONS LEARNED
Our
life here on Earth is passing, so it is better if we will practice doing what
is good than being evil in all things. My reflection upon the story is that the
Omnipotent gives redemption to those who worked so hard for it. For Kandata,
who was known to be a great robber who has done so many evil things, Buddha
recalls and pardoned him because he saved the life of a spider; nevertheless,
Kandata’s heart is still not pure and was not sorry for all he has done. We
can still see Kandata’s selfishness, as he has been greedy for not sharing the
thread with his fellow sinners.
For me, it was really too late that
Kandata was pardoned and it is not a valid reason that in just saving a spider,
he can have redemption. A sinner who is truly sorry for his sin prays and
changes his attitude even before he died to be redeemed. Unlucky Kandata, he
deserves what he received. Therefore, in this story, it challenges us to turn
away from our sins and pray for salvation because salvation is not given in an
instant. It is true that the Omnipotent sees who deserves salvation, but we
need to remember also that not everyone deserves to have it.
The lessons I have learned from this story is that:
- Salvation comes to those who prayed and asked for it.
- Do good while you are still alive.
- Do not be greedy because we do not know what lies ahead.
- Humble yourself.
- Stealing is one of the greatest mortal sins.
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