Changes are necessary in our life, but we should initiate only what is possible or pragmatic. As human beings, we have limitation. If we try to change what is beyond our ability, it can be disappointed to many people.
There is a story about the leather shoes. There was a king who experienced pain while walking with bare feet. And one day he came up with an idea of putting leather on the road so that walking can no longer be painful. One of his ministers knew that such idea would require the slaughtering of thousands of cattle. This would certainly affect the livelihood of the many people of the country. Therefore, he proposed to the king by telling him that it would be much easier and faster to tie some leather to the king’s feet than to cover every royal road with leather. The king was pleased with the proposal, and that was the beginning of leather shoes according to the legend.
Likewise, we may come across difficult situation. To change the situation is not only impossible but a pain to many. It is more practical to change ourselves or our attachment instead of requiring others to accommodate our needs.
One of the problems that we face today is pollution. It is partly caused by selfish development of those having the means to do so. For example, during a cold weather, it requires much electrical power to warm up our room. To conserve energy, perhaps we can just put on a sweater or winter clothing. At times, our convenience can be a cost to others unnecessarily. Instead, our willingness to change only ourselves rather than others, such attempt can be a wise decision for a larger community.
我们在生活中经常需要面对改变，而我们应该意识到那些改变是可能和实用的。作为有限的人类，如果我们试图改变超出自己能力范围的东西，那将会造成很多人的失望，甚至痛苦。
有一个关于皮鞋的故事。据说有一位国王在赤脚行走时经历了脚部疼痛；因此有一天，他提出了将皮革放在路上的想法，这样対他走路就不再是痛苦的事情了。他的一位大臣知道这样的想法需要宰杀成千上万的牛；这肯定会影响该国许多人的生计。他便向国王建议不如将一些皮革系在国王的脚上，因为这比用皮革覆盖每条皇家公路要容易得多。国王欢喜接纳此建议，而这是传说中的皮鞋的由来。
同样的，我们也可能遇到困难的情况。有时候要改变情况不仅是不可能的，而且会造成其他人的痛苦；反而改变自己或我们的喜好则更为实际，不必要求其他人满足我们的需求。
我们今天面临污染的问题，而部分原因是由于人自私的发展。例如，如果天气冷了，它需要很多的电力才能使我们的房间变暖。为了节约能源，也许我们可以穿上毛衣或冬装。有时，我们的便利可能会给其他人带来不必要的负担。相反的，如果我们愿意只改变自己而不是其他人，这种尝试对于一个更大的羣体来说经常是一个明智的决定。
The legend of the beginning of leather shoes is about a pragmatic change
有关皮鞋由来的传说涉及了实用的改变