There is a Buddhist tale about a man named Gan Daduo who lived a very unfortunate life. He did many bad things and committed all sorts of crimes.

One day while walking along a street, he suddenly noticed that he was about to step on a spider. A kind thought flashed in his mind: “A spider lives a small life, why should I kill it?” In an inspired moment, he stepped over the spider, sparing its life.

Later, when Gan Daduo died, he fell into a dark and terrible place. He had committed so many horrible and cruel acts; he was sentenced to suffer in hell.

Unhappy and tormented in his situation, Gan Daduo, was amazed one day to see a spider’s silver thread fall toward him from the sky. It was like a rope of hope thrown to a drowning man in an ocean. Overjoyed, Gan Daduo climbed up the thread as quickly as he could, using all his might and determination to escape the pains of hell.

But as he ascended, he was alarmed to see other beings climbing up after him. Afraid that the fine thread could not withstand so much weight, he kicked until they all fell back.

Gan Daduo was relieved – but only for a moment. The force of his hard kicks shook the spider’s thread violently and suddenly it snapped, plunging Gan Daduo back into the place of endless misery.

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