Once upon a time a tribe of monkeys lived deep in a wooded mountain range. Their secluded homeland provided for all their needs; trees bore all kinds of fruit, crops filled the valleys, and streams nourished the mountains. The seasons followed their natural course and tended the land with care. Under their Monkey King, the monkeys lived together in peace and harmony.

But one day the rain ceased to fall. The seasons passed without any change, and after a few years a barren brown consumed the lush green that once was the monkeys' homeland. No longer could the land provide for their hunger. Left without a choice, a group of monkeys decided to secretly venture outside their land in search of food.

One day, the monkeys came upon an orchard filled with fruit. Luscious fruit dangled from each tree branch, looking fresh and tender. Conquered by their immense hunger, the monkeys stormed into the orchard and devoured everything in sight. The monkeys did not know that this was the emperor's beloved orchard.

Seeing the chaos, the emperor's guards immediately reported to the emperor that unknown intruders were looting his orchard. The news infuriated the emperor who resolved to punish the ignorant ruffians. He ordered the guards to lock his orchard and make certain that none of the intruders escaped.

At the same time, the Monkey King discovered that some of his tribe members were missing. He assembled the remaining monkeys and set out to look for them. They eventually stumbled upon the emperor's orchard and discovered that the missing monkeys were trapped inside.

The Monkey King told the other monkeys to run back to the mountains and gather a long, sturdy vine. When the vine was brought, he threw one end into the orchard. He ordered the monkeys inside to work together and tie their end onto one of the fruit trees. However, when he tried to tie his end onto a tree on his side, the vine was a little too short. So he tied it onto himself, and with all his might he grabbed a branch of the tree, forming an overpass between the orchard and himself.

One by one, the monkeys scrambled up the rope to freedom. Gradually, their weight tugged away at the Monkey King's arms, until finally his shoulder was dislocated. Despite the unbearable pain, the Monkey King clenched his teeth and held on until every last monkey had been rescued.

Just when the last monkey reached safety, the emperor arrived. Seeing that all of the monkeys had escaped, he was furious. However, just as he was about to order his men to capture all the monkeys, the Monkey King jumped forth and knelt in front of the emperor.

Despite the pain in his shoulder, the Monkey King pleaded, "Your Majesty, years of drought have robbed our homeland of all sources of food. In order to survive, these monkeys were forced to venture out in search of food. It was only because I was a poor leader and failed to educate them properly that they dared to enter your orchard. I can only ask to sacrifice my life in exchange for their freedom and your forgiveness."

Seeing that the Monkey King was not only wounded but willing to sacrifice himself for his subjects, the emperor was touched and regretted his own actions. He thought to himself, "Here before me grovels a mere beast, yet within his body beats a compassionate heart that loves his own kind and treasures each of their lives. I myself am an emperor, yet compared to this creature, can I truly achieve a love for all people and animals?"

Overcome with shame, the emperor responded, "I am extremely touched and shamed by your altruistic act. You have illuminated my mind and made me realize that I must rule this land with benevolence. To show my gratitude, I will not only forgive your subjects, but I will provide them with enough food so you can all live in peace and happiness."

Upon his return to the palace, the emperor told the queen of his encounter. The story drove her to tears, and she cried, "Even such beasts can recognize the essence of love! Why do humans continue to fight one another? It is precisely because of their fighting that our world is filled with turmoil."

Thereafter, together with his queen, the emperor began to govern his land with benevolence. Many years later the country thrived under peace and prosperity. The Heavens, touched by the emperor's benevolent heart, rewarded the land with harmonious weather and brought an end to all natural disasters. The monkeys never had to search for food again

The hearts and minds of people are easily lured away by external temptations, planting the seeds of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt. They contaminate the body and soul and can lead to evil acts that cause a lifetime of regret.

In this story, the monkeys' hunger planted the seeds of greed, which led to their reckless act. When the emperor learned that his prized orchard had been pillaged, his mind was filled with anger. Fortunately, the Monkey King's words enlightened the emperor and uprooted the seeds of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt. Instead of punishing the monkeys, the emperor rewarded them, and his benevolent rule transformed bad relationships into good ones throughout his whole country. This is the proper way to create a cycle of goodness.