The Zen monk, Ryokan, was discovered by his disciple Saito by
the sea, where the tide had washed ashore hundreds of starfish.
They would soon die of exposure. Ryokan was tossing the
starfish, one at a time, back into the ocean, in a slow,
meditative movement.
“Why do you bother?” Saito asked Ryokan, overwhelmed by
the sheer number of starfish dying. “It won’t make any
difference.”
Ryokan stopped for a moment, looking at the starfish in his
hand. He replied, “It will to this one.”