师与徒在魔难中失散，天各一方，互无音讯。

徒弟对师父很挂念，常常想着师父。

从那时开始，徒弟就经常做一个单一的梦：

梦见沙滩上有两排并行的脚印。在梦里，他知道其中一排脚印是他自己的，

另一排，他就不明白了。这样的梦，他常常梦到，几乎每次都是一样的。

但有时候，会有一点变化，有时沙滩上只有一排脚印。

很多年，徒弟受了很多很多的苦，但他对师父的信念从没变过，而这梦他也一直重复着梦到。

很多年后，他终于摸清了规律，一般困难的日子，都是两排脚印，但一到他最困难、最生不如死，几乎想放弃生命的日子里，睡梦里就只会有一排脚印。

又过了很多年后，四海承平。师徒互相找到了，日子也不再苦了，徒弟和师父又重逢在一起，徒弟也就不再梦到这梦境了。

徒弟若有所悟，激动的去问师父：“在我困难的日子里，梦里的另一排脚印，其实是师父您一直在陪着我走那苦路，是吗？”师父也没看他，只停下了，不经意地低声回了声“嗯！”徒弟很感动地回去了。

过了一会儿，他又想不明白了，又去找师父：“可是，在我最生不如死的日子里，师父您为什么离弃了我呢？”

师父说：“我从来没离弃过你。”

徒弟不解说：“可是，在我最生不如死的日子里，梦里明明只有我自己的一排脚印啊！”

师父这时才把目光移到了徒弟脸上，师徒目光交汇，师父轻轻答道：“我挂念你，护持你，而且我永远不会离开你，在你生不如死、最痛苦最软弱的日子里，的确只有一排脚印。但那一排脚印不是你的，而是我的。在那些日子里，是师父抱着你、背着你走过了那段最难走的路。”

小编语：与此文相似的，曾有一首作者不详的英文诗歌，在此与大家一同分享一下

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene,he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of foot - prints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

 

来源：谈笑风云