The Painting of the Deer

The house stood at the end of the street, behind a tall iron gate, its spacious courtyard filled with blooming bougainvillea. The living room was decorated with great care, and every piece reflected the owner's refined taste. On the main wall hung a large oil painting that drew every gaze: a herd of deer standing beside a stream, the water crystal clear, the rocks covered in green moss.

That day, a special guest came to visit. He was a well-known feng shui master, invited to view the house. Stepping into the living room, the master stopped before the painting, gazed at it for a long while, and gently shook his head.

The owner of the house, a middle-aged man, said warmly, "What do you think of this painting, Master? I bought it from a famous artist, and it cost me a great deal."

The master smiled, though there was a trace of sadness in his smile. "This painting is not beautiful. You should replace it."

The owner was astonished. "Not beautiful? But it is a masterpiece! Look at the deer, so vivid, so lifelike."

The master did not explain further. He simply said, "Just do as I say. Hang another painting in its place."

The owner did not understand, but out of respect for the master, he promised to change it. Yet busy with work, he forgot. The painting remained on the wall, catching the evening light day after day.

A year later, the husband passed away suddenly from a heart attack. His wife sat before the painting, weeping. Then suddenly, she looked at it more closely: the painting showed a stream, with a doe and her two fawns on one side, and on the far side a stag standing alone in the distance, as if about to step across the water.

She suddenly remembered the master's words, and understood it all. In feng shui, that stream was the Yellow Springs, the passage through which the dead must go. The stag had already crossed to the other side, leaving the doe and her young behind. The painting had foretold the separation of the family.

She sat there, tears flowing, and murmured, "If only I had listened to the master..."

The Meaning of the Story

Intuition is not merely seeing outward appearances, but reading the meaning hidden deep within. A painting that seems perfectly harmless can carry an omen of loss. A person with keen intuition will notice the signs that ordinary people overlook, and so may change their destiny, or at least prepare their heart for what is to come.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.