Le Guang invited a friend for drinks. The friend saw what looked like a small snake in his cup, drank in terror, and fell ill that night. Months later, Le Guang sought him out and learned the cause.
He investigated: a bow hung on the wall behind the table, its curved reflection appearing exactly like a snake in the wine. He invited the friend back, seated him in the same place, and poured fresh wine. "Do you see the snake again?" The friend stared: "Yes!" Le Guang pointed to the bow. The moment the friend understood, his chronic illness vanished instantly.
乐广尝有亲客，久阔不复来，广问其故，答曰：「前在坐，蒙赐酒，方欲饮，见杯中有蛇，意甚恶之，既饮而疾。」
于时河南听事壁上有角，漆画作蛇，广意杯中蛇即角影也。复置酒于前处，谓客曰：「酒中复有所见不？」答曰：「所见如初。」广乃告其所以，客豁然意解，沉疴顿愈。
乐广尝有亲客，久阔不复来，广问其故，答曰：「前在坐，蒙赐酒，方欲饮，见杯中有蛇，意甚恶之，既饮而疾。」
于时河南听事壁上有角，漆画作蛇，广意杯中蛇即角影也。复置酒于前处，谓客曰：「酒中复有所见不？」答曰：「所见如初。」广乃告其所以，客豁然意解，沉疴顿愈。
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
Most fears are shadows cast by ignorance. Before despairing, seek the source — truth is the swiftest cure for imaginary ailments.
This story from the Jìn Shū is a precise psychological parable. The friend's illness was real — psychosomatic, but genuinely painful. The "snake" was a visual illusion caused by an innocent reflection.
This is the nature of anxiety: we construct explanations for our discomfort, and those explanations become more dangerous than the original stimulus. The cure is not willpower — it is understanding. Once the true cause is revealed, the spell breaks.