The Frog In The Well – Story & Explanation
Once a frog from the Ocean came and jumped into a well. He got acquainted with the frog in the well and the well frog asked, “From where do you come?
He said, “I come from Ocean.”
The well frog asked, ”Is it bigger than this well?” Of course suspicion was in his eyes; doubt was in his mind. “How can anything be bigger than this well where I live?”
The ocean frog laughed and said, “It is very difficult to say anything because there is no measure.”
The well frog said, “Then I will give you some measure so you can.”
He jumped on-quarter of the well, one fourth of the space, and asked, “Is it this big?”
The ocean frog laughed and said, “No.”
Then he jumped half of the well, and asked, “Is it that big?”
Again the ocean frog laughed and said, “No.”
Then he jumped three-quarters and asked, “Is it that big?”
Again the ocean frog said, “No.”
The he jumped the whole well, the whole length, and said, “Now – now you cannot say no.”
The ocean frog said, “You may feel hurt and I don’t want to be offensive, but still the answer is no.”
Then the well frog said, “Get out from here, you liar. Nothing can be bigger than this well.”
You should not be too hard on the well frog because what can he do? You can only have compassion, you cannot be too hard, because that is all he has known. He has never been to the ocean so how can he conceive it? “You cannot deceive me, you must have some plans to deceive me. I cannot believe in such an absurdity that anything can be bigger than this well.”
Spiritual story by Osho – from the book “When the shoe fits.”
(Featured Photo Credit: Mike Erskine on Unsplash)
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What Is the Spiritual Moral And Meaning of the “Frog in the Well” Story?
The frog in the well story is a metaphor for the canvas painting that is the essence of our human journey. It whispers to us the eternal quest for understanding, the dance between perception and reality, and the boundless nature of the cosmos.
The two frogs represent different facets of our consciousness. The well frog symbolizes the limited perception that we often confine ourselves to – a snug existence within the confines of our beliefs, experiences, and familiar surroundings. It embodies the skepticism that arises when faced with something beyond our current understanding. The well, to this frog, is the universe, the entirety of existence, for it has never known beyond its stone walls.
In contrast, the ocean frog embodies the expansiveness of consciousness, the seeker who has ventured far and wide, experiencing the vastness of existence. It has tasted the waters of the ocean, metaphorically journeying into the depths of the unknown. Its laughter is not mockery but a reflection of the ineffable nature of truth. How can one encapsulate the vastness of the ocean in the limited dimensions of a well?
The well frog, in its attempt to grasp the incomprehensible, seeks to measure the immeasurable. It attempts to define the vastness of the ocean with the confines of its limited reality. Jumping fractions of the well, it seeks validation for its belief that nothing can surpass the boundaries it knows. Yet, with each leap, it encounters a resounding “No.” The ocean frog's refusal isn't denial; it's an invitation to expand perception beyond the well's circumference.
The crescendo of the tale emerges as the well frog takes its leap of faith, spanning the entirety of its known world, believing it has finally surpassed the unmeasurable. However, the ocean frog's gentle yet profound response unravels the crux of the story. Even with the well frog's leap beyond its known boundaries, the expanse of the ocean remains untouched by its endeavors.
At its core, the spiritual story of the frog in the well beckons us to question the limitations we impose upon ourselves and our understanding of the universe. How often do we confine our beliefs, ideologies, and perspectives to the well of our own experiences? How frequently do we attempt to measure the immeasurable, to confine the vastness of existence into the limited frameworks of our understanding?
The spiritual essence lies not in the comparison of the well to the ocean but in the journey of awakening. It urges us to transcend the confines of our individual wells, to embrace the unknown with curiosity, and to venture into the expanses of consciousness. The ocean represents the boundless potentiality, the infinite realms of wisdom, and the unfathomable mysteries that await our exploration.
Ultimately, the tale isn't about the superiority of the ocean over the well. It's an ode to the ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, the recognition of our interconnectedness with the infinite, and the beauty of embracing the vastness of existence beyond the limitations of our perceived realities.
As we ponder upon the frog in the well story, let us reflect on the vastness within and without. Let us heed the call to expand our consciousness, to embrace the unknown with open hearts, and to dance joyously in the realms of infinite possibilities. For in our journey towards understanding, we transcend the boundaries of the known and step into the expanse of universal wisdom and interconnectedness.