The Lion, The Rats, The Snake & The Honeycomb
A man dreams of being chased by a lion, perched on a weakening branch between danger and temptation. Beneath him, a snake waits. Above him, sweet drops of honey fall. As he loses himself in their taste, he forgets the threats around him. This powerful dream, explained by a wise scholar, reveals deep truths about life, death, time, and the distractions of worldly pleasure.
One night, a man had a dream that gripped his heart with fear.
In the dream, he was being chased by a ferocious lion. It snarled and roared, its eyes fixed on him as it closed in. Desperate to escape, the man ran as fast as he could until he saw a tall tree. Without hesitation, he climbed it and took refuge on a branch high above the ground.
Breathing heavily, he looked down. The lion was still there—pacing, waiting, unwavering. He was not safe yet.
Then he noticed something more troubling. Just where his branch met the trunk, two rats were eating away at the wood. One rat was black, the other white. They took turns nibbling, weakening the branch with every bite.
Panic surged through him.
He looked down again, and his eyes widened in horror. Lurking directly below was a massive black snake, its mouth gaping open, ready to swallow him whole the moment he fell.
The man looked upward in desperation. Perhaps there was something to hold on to. Above him was another branch, and from it hung a honeycomb. Golden drops of honey slowly dripped down, glistening in the light.
He stuck out his tongue to catch a drop.
Sweetness.
The taste was exquisite—so rich, so satisfying. He reached for another drop... and then another. Each one sweeter than the last. Soon, he was lost in the honey, savouring the moment, forgetting the danger.
He no longer thought about the lion below.
He no longer noticed the rats chewing away at the branch.
He no longer feared the snake beneath him.
He was completely immersed in the sweetness.
And then the branch snapped.
Just as he began to fall, the terror of it all returned—and he jolted awake, breathless and shaken.
Disturbed by the dream, he sought the guidance of a pious scholar. After hearing it, the scholar gently explained:
The lion you saw is your death. It chases you wherever you go—it never rests.
The two rats, one black and one white, are the night and the day. They take turns nibbling at your time, bringing you closer to the end.
The snake below is your grave—dark, waiting, inescapable.
And the honey? That is this world.
The sweet drops are its luxuries. We taste them, and they are pleasing. So we seek more. Then more. Until we forget our time is short. We forget death. We forget the grave.
And one day, without warning, the branch breaks.
The man sat quietly, letting the words settle.
The dream was no longer just a dream — it was a divine message, a warning, a wake-up call.
Moral of the Story
This world is full of sweetness, but its delights are temporary. Every passing day and night brings us closer to our end. Don't let the pursuit of worldly pleasure distract you from the reality of your journey. Prepare for the hereafter before the branch breaks.