ILLUSION

A man who wanted to become a disciple said to the sage:
- For many days now I have been listening to how you condemn ideas, perceptions and behaviors that are not peculiar to me and will never be peculiar. What is the purpose of all this?
The sage replied:
“The purpose of this is to make you finally stop imagining that everything that I reproach was never peculiar to you, and realized that you are suffering from the error that it is not peculiar to you now.”

WORLD

The student asked the dervish:
- Teacher, is the world hostile to man? Or is he good for man?
“I will tell you a parable about how the world relates to man,” said the teacher.
"The great shah lived long ago. He ordered the construction of a beautiful palace. There was a lot of miracles. Among other wonders in the palace was a hall where all the walls, ceiling, doors and even the floor were mirrored. The mirrors were unusually clear, and the visitor did not immediately understand that there’s a mirror in front of him — they reflected objects so accurately. In addition, the walls of this hall were designed to create an echo. You ask: “Who are you?” and you will hear from different angles: “Who are you?” Who are you? Who are you?".
Once a dog ran into the hall and froze in amazement in the middle - a whole pack of dogs surrounded her from all sides, above and below. The dog bared his teeth just in case; and all reflections answered her the same. Frightened in earnest, the dog barked desperately. The echo repeated her barking.
The dog barked louder. The echo was not far behind. The dog rushed to and fro, biting the air, its reflections also rushing around, snapping their teeth. The next morning, the servants found the unfortunate dog lifeless, surrounded by millions of reflections of dead dogs.
There was no one in the room who could do her any harm. The dog died fighting with its own reflections. "
“Now you see,” the dervish finished, “the world brings neither good nor evil in itself.” Everything that happens around us is just a reflection of our own thoughts, feelings, desires, actions. The world is a big mirror.

Assumptions

Assumptions visit people more often than they think. Usually people act based on their guesses. Such a habit can be useful, because then you do not need to think and communicate. If you have met a man in uniform, you can guess that he is a guardian of order.
But do not use assumptions all the time and do not let them control your life!
Remember the sad fate of the signage designer - he lost his revenue, because he assumed it was wrong. A rich woman asked him to write a warning about the dog in the house to hang him on the front door. He wrote: "Beware, angry dog!" - and lost the order. “Stupid,” the woman exclaimed, “I wanted to notify those who came in:“ Knock quietly! Don’t wake the dog! ”

CAT AND RABBIT

The cat said:
“Rabbits are not worth learning!” I offer cheap mouse catching lessons - and at least one rabbit is interested!

KNOWLEDGE

The ruler of the city ordered to seize one Sufi and throw him in jail. The students came to visit their teacher in prison. They were amazed to see that their teacher had not changed at all and joyfully greeted them, as if they were visiting him at home.
“Teacher, what comforts you here in the house of sorrow?” - exclaimed the students.
“Four sayings,” replied the Sufi. - Here is the first:
"No one can escape evil, for everything is predetermined by fate."
Here is the second:
"What remains for a person to do in misfortune, how not to patiently endure his suffering? After all, in the whole universe not only do you experience something like that."
Here is the third:
"Be grateful to fate that the worst has not happened - it is always possible."
And finally, I tell myself: "Deliverance may be near, although you do not know about it."
At that moment, the guards came with the news that the Sufi was free, for they had seized him by mistake.

DISSATISFIED

The layman complained to the Sufi about the dominance of wicked people.
“All my life I suffer from human malice and wickedness,” he complained. - He reproached me and unjustly condemned me, he let me down in business, he deceived me, he did not share the profit with me ...
Complaints poured in an endless stream. The Sufi was silent, not interrupting him. Finally he fell silent, asking one last thing: What should I do?
“Do not be like fools who notice only mistakes, mistakes and evil in the people with whom they live and communicate,” replied the Sufi. - These unreasonable do not pay attention to the dignity of people. They look like flies sticking to body ulcers.

TIP

One student asked his Sufi mentor: “Teacher, what would you say if you knew about my fall?”
- Get up!
- And next time?
- Get up again!
“And how long can this go on — does everything fall and rise?”
“Fall and rise as long as you are alive!” After all, those who fell and did not rise are dead.

THREE EPOCHS

Fifth century conversation
- They say that silk does not grow on trees - caterpillars spin it.
“Do diamonds come from eggs?” Do not pay attention. This is an obvious lie.
“But there are undoubtedly many miracles in distant lands ...”
- It is from such a thirst for the supernatural that all sorts of fantastic fabrications are in demand among the gullible.
- But actually, if you think about it, such nonsense, so widespread in the East, will never take root in our logically minded, civilized society.
In the sixth century
- One man came from the East and brought some worms with him.
“Sure, a quack.” I suppose he claims that they treat toothache?
“No, funnier.” He says they can "spin silk." He says that he got them at risk for his life and now demonstrates them at court in different countries.
- Yes, he just exploits a belief that was obsolete already at the time of my great-great-grandfather!
“What are we going to do with him, sir?”
“Throw his diabolical worms into the fire, and beat him until he publicly renounces his heresy.” People like him are extremely insolent. We need to demonstrate to them that we here in the West are not some dark country man who is ready to believe any crook from the East.
In the twentieth century
“So you say that you know something that is known in the East, which we have not yet discovered here in the West?” Well, that was said many thousands of years ago. But in this century, the human mind is truly open to everything new. So, let's try. Well, come on, demonstrate what you want - I have fifteen minutes before the next meeting. Or, if you wish, you can submit your thoughts in writing. Here is a piece of paper for you.

THE LAST DAY.

One man believed that the last day of humanity would fall on a certain number, and that he should be met in a special way.
He gathered everyone who listened to his words, and when the indicated day arrived, he led them to a high mountain. But as soon as they all reached the top, the fragile earth crust fell under their total weight, and they collapsed into the mouth of the volcano. And that was truly their last day.

THOUGHT OF GRAPES.

There was one grapevine in the world that realized that people annually remove grapes from it and take it away.
And no one ever says thank you to her.
One fine day a wise man passed by and sat down to rest nearby.
“Here it is, my chance to clear up the secret,” thought the vine and said:
- A wise man! You see: I am a vine. When my fruits ripen, people come and take them. From none of them I do not see even a hint of gratitude. Can you explain to me the reason for this behavior?
The wise man thought and said:
- In all likelihood, his reason is that all these people had the impression that you cannot help but produce grapes.

PERSON

Once upon a time there was a bee who discovered that wasps do not know how to make honey. She thought she could tell them about it. True, one wise bee warned her:
- Wasps do not like bees. If you were among them, they would not listen to you, because they have an ancient belief that bees are the antipodes of wasps.
After a long reflection on this problem, the bee decided that if it stains itself in yellow pollen, it will become completely indistinguishable from wasps, and they will take it for their own.
So she did. Posing as a wasp, which made a great discovery, the bee began to teach wasps to make honey. They were completely delighted and worked tirelessly under her leadership. But now it's time to rest. And then the wasps noticed that in the heat of work with a bee, its disguise was showered. And they recognized her.
All as one they attacked her and ate to death, as an uninvited guest and an ancient enemy. And of course, all the half-finished honey was thrown out indignantly - for what good could be in the proposed stranger?

FOOD AND SURPRISE

One young man who wanted to achieve enlightenment, sought out the Sufi, who lived in solitude, and asked to be his disciples. Without saying yes or no, the Sufi allowed him to settle nearby.
A lot of time passed during which the young man did not receive any instructions and had very few impressions that he could reflect on.
Once he said:
“I never see you eating.” How can you live without food?
“Ever since you joined me, I stopped eating in the presence of strangers,” the Sufi said. - Now I eat in secret.
Intrigued, the young man asked:
- But why? If you wanted to trick me, then why now admit it?
“I stopped eating,” the sage answered, “so that you can be surprised at me.” I was hoping that the day would come when you finally ceased to be amazed at what was irrelevant, and really would become a student.
“But could you not just tell me not to be surprised at what lies on the surface ?!”
“This has already been said thousands and thousands of times, clearly and distinctly, to everyone in the world, including yourself,” replied the Sufi. “And you think that an extra handful of words would have effect?”

HISTORY OF A JUG

Have you heard about the tragedy of the unfortunate jug?
Lying in a corner of the room on the bed, a seriously ill patient prayed for a sip of water.
The jug was so imbued with compassion for this man that he managed to move himself with the greatest effort of will, spinning towards him at arm's length
Opening his eyes, a man saw a jug beside him and experienced a surge of genuine amazement and joy. He reached out to the jug with difficulty, brought it to his lips and ... found that it was empty.
Gathering all the forces that remained with him, the patient threw the jug against the wall in all its scope, and he scattered into many useless pieces of clay.

NECTAR

The absence of sorrows breeds satiety. The story of the bee illustrates this.
Having flown out of the hive for the first time after a long winter hibernation, the bee discovered a flower bed.
Three days later, she exclaimed:
- I won’t know what happened to nectar: \u200b\u200bit became so sour.

FUNNY

One Sufi sent everyone who wanted to become his disciple to listen and record the rantings of his slanderers - for the most part they were dogmatic scholars.
Someone asked him:
- Why are you doing this?
He replied:
- One of the first exercises of a Sufi is to see if he is able to recognize absurdities, addictions and distortions among those who imagine themselves to be wise. If he is really capable of seeing what is inside them and recognizing their narcissistic and poisonous nature, then he can begin to learn Reality.

SYMBOLIC GIFTS

Visitors to Jan Fiscan Khan were sometimes met by a person who greeted them by uttering flattering words. Then they brought halva. And, finally, right before they were allowed into the room where the Master was, they received a magnificent gold bar as a gift.
When they faced the Master, he said:
- Pay attention to the gifts you received. In our circle, they mean: "If you want to harm someone, give him flattery, food and money." You can even destroy a person with this, while he will be grateful to you from the bottom of your heart for doing this.

DONKEY

I know: when the weather improves, clover will appear, ”said the donkey. “But I want him now.” And all offer only hay. How to solve this problem? - I do not know. I'm too busy: I think of clover ...

STATISTICS

The poor man said to the rich man:
- I spend all my money on food.
“That is precisely your trouble,” the rich man answered. - Personally, I spend only five percent of my money on food.

FOOL

Once upon a time there was a person who did the right thing in one case and wrong in the other - in that order
The first thing was that he told the fool that he was a fool.
The second - he did not pay attention to what was standing at the edge of a deep well.

TIGER

A deer, being carried away from a tiger that went hunting, noticed a mouse serene beside its mink and, for a moment stopping its run, shouted to her:
“The jungle master is coming!” The tiger is obsessed with killing! Save yourself!
The mouse, as if nothing had happened, pinched a blade of grass and said:
- If you said that the cat went out to loot, it would interest me!

PLEASE DO IT

One Sufi was asked:
- How can you teach people to move in a certain direction if they do not know your "language"?
He answered:
- Here is a story illustrating this. One day a Sufi came to a country where people knew in his language a single phrase: "Please do it!"
He did not have time to teach them a better understanding of his language. Therefore, when he needed something to be done, he demonstrated it and said: "Please do it!"
And thus, everything was done.

CONTRADICTIONS

Dialogue between a Sufi and a questioner:
- Which statement should be chosen if two Sufi sayings contradict each other?
- They contradict each other only when they are considered separately. If you clap your hands and pay attention only to the movement of the hands, it will look as if they are opposing each other. But in this case, you will not see what really happened.
- The goal of “counteracting” the hands was, of course, to produce cotton.

SUFIY-SLAV

It is said that one of the great Sufis, Ayyaz, whom Sultan Mahmud from Ghazna brought closer to him, was a slave.
The story goes that a courtier once told him:
“You were a dervish, then captured.” And for many years now you have been serving Mahmoud. Your holiness is so great that if you asked for freedom, the sultan would immediately give it to you. Why do you stay in such an unenviable position?
Ayaz sighed heavily and said:
“If I stop being a slave, where on earth will a person come to whom people could refer to as an example of a slave who is a teacher?” And then, if I leave the king, who else can exhort the courtiers? After all, they listen to me only for the reason that Mahmoud listens to me. My friend, this tiny little world was created for itself by people like you. Nevertheless, you are asking me why I remain a slave in this human-made cell.

UNABLE LEGEND

Cosmetic surgery, the eagle said, is not only useful in the light of the current level of social development: it is practically necessary.
When he cut his claws and shortened his beak, everyone around him liked the result so much that they did the same.
Almost all. Ravens did not attend to the improvement of their appearance. They grew their claws and began to wait for the day when - if it happened that social taboos under the pressure of circumstances again allow the growth of claws - other predators practicing pedicure and developing civilization will no longer know what the claws are for.

ENVIRONMENT

One Sufi invited a man who deeply revered him to settle in his house. However, only four days later he went to distant lands, and he was gone for three years.
Deprived of the Master’s presence, the guest was discouraged and felt extremely awkward. But he was also forced to cope with household chores ...
Many years later, one man returned to the city where this was happening, to whom he believed his hardships, and found that his friend had succeeded in becoming a Sufi, and that his feelings were now very different from the past.
He explained to his friend:
“What seemed clear to me at the time when I first got into the house of my Master, as I now understand, was actually hidden from me. If he stayed, I would not bear the intensity of his presence. I thought I wanted to be near him, while in reality I needed to breathe in the atmosphere surrounding him.

INTEREST TO OWN PERSON

When Anwar, the son of Hyatt, was asked why he does not criticize people, he replied:
- I am kept by interest in my own person. If you demonstrate the shortcomings of a neighbor, this can benefit the surrounding society, but it is far from always useful to you yourself. Sarcastic exercises develop arrogance.
I care too much about myself and do not want arrogance to corrode my soul.

One Sufi was asked:
- Why did you travel in search of a new experience only when you were young?
He replied:
“Because if I had done this, being already famous, people would have treated me differently, and I would not have gained the experience that I needed so much.”

HEALING

The dervish was once asked:
“How can you heal the sick if your master cannot do this?”
He replied:
- One person was asked: "Why do you go to the grocery store if your master does not?" This man replied: "I go to the shop because my master bakes bread. If he did not do this, there would be no need for flour."

There is such a story in the Bhagavatgita.

A great archery master named Drona trained his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what he saw.
One said:
- I see a tree and a target on it. Another said:
- I see a tree, the rising sun, birds in the sky ... Everyone else answered in the same way.
Then Drona went to his best student Arjuna and asked:
- And what do you see? He replied:
“I can't see anything but the target.” And Drona said:
- Only such a person can become a target.

FAITH AND MISCELLANEOUS

Krishna was sitting at his table at his house. His queen Rakmini served him food. Suddenly Krishna pushed the dish away from him, jumped up and ran through the garden to the street. Rakmini got agitated and ran after him. Halfway through, she saw Krishna returning to the house.
Entering the house, he sat down at the table and, as if nothing had happened, continued Rakmini's meal excitedly asked him:
- What happened? Why did you stop dinner so unexpectedly and run out into the street?
Krsna replied:
- I felt that one of my students needed help, his whole being attracted me. The villagers stopped him, threw stones at him and insulted him. He stood defenseless and prayed.
Rakmini asked in surprise:
- Why did you return from halfway and did not come to his aid?
Krsna replied:
- At first, when he stood defenseless in front of the people who threatened him, all Being stood in his defense, but when he could not stand it and raised a stone in his defense, I realized that he decided to rely on his own strength.

FLOWERS

Subhuti meditated under a tree and was able to comprehend the comprehensiveness of emptiness, the understanding that nothing exists except in the relationship of subjective and objective. Suddenly he felt that flowers were falling on him from a tree,
“We thank you for talking about emptiness,” the gods whispered to him.
“But I didn’t say anything about emptiness,” said Subhuti.
“You did not speak of emptiness, we did not hear emptiness,” the gods answered. - This is true emptiness.
And again the flowers rained down on him.

PARABLE IN ACTION

Many people believe that their interest in the subject is sufficient preparation. Moreover, they cannot believe that others may have a capacity for perception, while they themselves must wait.
Junaid once illustrated this at an obvious level, when some of his twenty students were jealous of his affection for one of them. The parable-in-action that he invented is worth considering.
He called all his disciples and ordered them to bring twenty chickens. Each was told to take one bird to where no one would see him, and kill it.
When they returned, the birds were dead: everything except the one that the student in question took.
Junaid, in the presence of the rest of the disciples, asked him why he had not killed his bird.
“You told me to go where I cannot be seen, but there is no such place: God sees everything,” the man replied.

Parable of the Monks

The old and young monk once returned to their monastery. Their path was crossed by a river, which, due to rains, spilled heavily.
On the shore there was a woman who also needed to cross to the opposite shore, but she could not do without outside help. The vow strictly forbade the monks to touch women.
The young monk, noticing the woman, defiantly turned away, and the old one approached her, picked him up and carried her across the river. The monks remained silent for the rest of the journey, but at the monastery itself the young monk could not stand it: "How could you touch a woman !? You made a vow!" To which the old calmly replied: "Strange, I transferred it and left it on the bank of the river, and you still carry it."

RING OF KING SOLOMON

Once upon a time there lived the wise king Solomon. But despite his wisdom, his life was not calm. And once King Solomon turned for advice to the court sage with a request: “Help me - a lot in this life can lead me crazy. I am very prone to passions, and it really bothers me!” To which the Sage replied: “I know how to help you. Put on this ring - the phrase:“ IT WILL PASS! ”Is carved on it. When you get strong anger or great joy, look at this inscription and it will sober you up. You will find salvation from it passions! "
As time passed, Solomon followed the advice of the Sage and became calm. But the time came and one day, as usual, looking at the ring, he did not calm down, but rather lost his temper even more. He tore the ring from his finger and wanted to throw it further into the pond, but suddenly noticed that there was some kind of inscription on the inside of the ring. He looked closely and read: "AND IT WILL ALSO PASS ..."

CROSS

One man once decided that his fate was too difficult. And he turned to the Lord God with such a request: “Savior, my cross is too heavy and I can’t bear it. All the people I know have crosses are much easier. Could you replace my cross with a lighter one?” And God said: "Well, I invite you to my storehouse of crosses - choose the one that you yourself like." A man came to the storehouse and began to pick up a cross: he tried on himself all the crosses and all seemed to him too heavy. Measuring all the crosses, he noticed at the very exit a cross that seemed to him easier than others and said to the Lord: "Let me take this one." And God said: "So this is your own cross that you left in the doorway to try on the rest."

WHAT IS SWEETER

It is reported that Abu Said spent seven years in the desert, undergoing the debilitating hardships of austerities. The stems and roots of thorny bushes served as food for him, and the collected drops of dew served as a drink. When he achieved enlightenment, he abandoned such practices.
Once in the city of Mashhad, he was resting, leaning back on his pillows. A student cut slices of melon, dipped them in powdered sugar and served them. Someone who heard about the severe austerities of the master and did not believe in this, asked him: “O mentor, what is preferable: the sugar melon or roots that you ate in the desert?”
“There is a time for everything,” answered our master. “If, while eating roots, you are in the presence of God, then the roots become sweeter than a melon. If you are outside of God, then the melon in sugar will be worse than the roots!”

PROBLEM ABOUT BERRY

Somehow, walking along the field, a man stumbled upon a tiger and rushed away in horror, the tiger followed him. Having reached the edge of the abyss, a man grabbed the roots of a wild vine and hung over the abyss. The tiger began to sniff it from above. Trembling with fear, the poor fellow looked down: there, licking his lips, another tiger was waiting for him.
Only the vine still held him.
But two mice, one white, the other black, began to gnaw a little vine.
And suddenly next to him a man saw a ripe, juicy strawberry. Holding on to the vine with one hand, he plucked the berry with the other. How delicious it was!

ATHEIST

Once an atheist, strolling along a cliff, slipped and fell down. During the fall, he managed to grab the branch of a small tree growing from a crevice in the rock. Hanging on a branch, swaying in the cold wind, he realized the hopelessness of his situation: mossy boulders blackened below, but there was no way to climb up. His hands holding on to the branch weakened.
“Well,” he thought, “only one God can save me now. I never believed in God, but I must have been mistaken. What am I losing?” Therefore, he called: "God! If you exist, save me, and I will believe in you!" There was no answer.
He called again: "Please, God! I never believed in You, but if You save me now, from now on I will believe in you."
Suddenly, the Great Voice rang out from the clouds: "Oh no, you won’t! I know people like you!"
The man was so surprised that he almost released a branch. "Please, God! You are mistaken! I really think so! I will believe!" - "Oh no, you won’t! All of you say that!"
Man begged and persuaded.
Finally, God said: "Well, good. I will save you ... Let go of the branch." - “Let go of the branch ?!” the man exclaimed. “Don't you think I'm crazy?”

THOUGHTS - LIFESTYLE

One pregnant lioness, setting off for prey, saw a flock of sheep. She rushed at them, and this effort cost her life. The lion cub born at the same time was left without a mother. The sheep took him into their care and fed him. He grew up among them, eating grass like them, and bleating like them, and although he became an adult lion, he was a perfect sheep in his aspirations and needs, as well as in his mind. Some time passed, and another lion went to the herd. Imagine his surprise when he saw his fellow lion running away like sheep at the approach of danger. He wanted to come closer, but as soon as he got a little closer, the sheep fled, and with them the lion-sheep. The second lion began to follow him and once, seeing him asleep, jumped on him and said: "Wake up, because you are a lion!" “No,” he whispered in fear, “I am a sheep!” Then the lion who came dragged him to the lake and said: “Look! Here are our reflections — mine and yours.” The lion-sheep looked at the lion, then at its reflection in the water, and at that moment he realized that he himself was a lion. He stopped bleating and growled.

HAPPINESS

The big dog, seeing a puppy chasing its tail, asked:
“Why are you chasing the tail?”
“I studied philosophy,” the puppy replied, “I solved the problems of the universe that no dog had solved before me; I learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness, and that my happiness is in the tail; so I chase after him, and when I catch him, he will be mine.
“Son,” said the dog, “I was also interested in world problems and made up my mind about it.” I also realized that happiness is wonderful for a dog and that my happiness is in the tail, but I noticed that wherever I go, whatever I do, he follows me: I do not need to chase him.

LOVE AND Doubt

Once a certain bhakta (following the path of Divine Love) wanted to cross the sea. Vibhishana, to whom he turned for help, had a palm leaf on which the name of God was written. Bhakta did not know about this, Vibhishana told him: "Take this with you and tie clothes to the edge. This will give you the opportunity to safely cross the ocean. But look, do not unfold the sheet, because if you look inside, you will drown."
Bhakta believed the words of his friend and completely sailed across the ocean. But, unfortunately, his constant enemy was curiosity. He wanted to see what a precious thing that had such power that he could walk on the waves of the ocean, as on solid earth, he gave him Vibhishan. Opening it, he saw that it was a palm leaf on which the name of God is written. He thought: “Is that all? Such a trifle thing makes it possible to walk on the waves?” As soon as this thought arose in his head, he plunged into the water and drowned.

TAIL AND HEAD

There used to be a snake whose head and tail all the time argued among themselves.
The head says to the tail: "I must be considered the eldest!" Tail replies: "I am worthy of being senior too." The head says: “I have ears to hear, eyes to watch, mouth to eat, when I move in front of the rest of the body - that’s why I need to be considered the eldest. And you do not have such advantages, therefore you cannot be considered senior. " And the tail in response: “If I let you move, then you can move. But what if I wrap around a tree three times?” He did so. The head was unable to move in search of food and almost died of starvation. He said to the tail: "You can let me go, I recognize you as elder."
The tail, hearing these words, immediately unhooked from the tree. The head again says to the tail: "Since you're the eldest, we'll see how you go first." The tail went forward, but did not take a few steps, as it fell into a pit of fire, and the snake died in the fire

SELF-SUGGESTION

Once a certain person was invited to a friend’s house. When he was about to drink the offered cup of wine, it seemed to him that he saw a serpent inside the cup. Not wanting to offend the owner by drawing attention to this circumstance, he courageously drained the cup.
Returning home, he felt terrible pains in his stomach. Many drugs have been tried. But everything turned out to be futile, and the man, now seriously ill, felt that he was dying. His friend, having heard about the condition of the patient, once again called him to his house. Having set the man in the same place, he again offered him a cup of wine, saying that there was medicine in it. When the sufferer lifted the cup, he saw a serpent in it. This time he drew the attention of the owner. Without a word, the owner pointed to the ceiling above the guest’s head, where the bow hung. The patient immediately realized that the snake was only a reflection of a hanging bow. Both people looked at each other and laughed. The guest’s pain instantly passed, and he recovered.

THirst AND WISDOM

One day a young man came to a sage and asked: "Sir, what should I do to gain wisdom?" The sage did not answer. Repeating his question several times and having not received an answer, the young man finally left to return the next day, and all with the same question. Again he did not receive an answer and returned on the third day, repeating again: "Sir, what should I do to become a wise man?" The sage turned and headed for the nearby river. He entered the water and nodded to the young man to follow him. Having reached sufficient depth, the sage took the young man by the shoulders and held him under water, despite the attempts of the young man to free himself. When he was freed and his breathing was even out, the sage asked him: “My son, when you were under water, what did you most desire?” The young man answered without hesitation: "Air! Air! I only wanted air!" “But would you rather not have wealth, pleasures, power and love, my son? Have you thought about these things?” - the sage asked. “No, sir, I wanted air and thought only of air,” an immediate response followed. “Then,” said the sage, “in order to become wise, you must desire wisdom with the strength that you just longed for air. You must fight for it until the exclusion of all other goals in life. If you strive for wisdom with such passion, my son, you will certainly become wise. "

MISSING

Mokusen Hiki lived in a temple in the province of Amba. One of his followers complained about the stinginess of his wife.
Mokusen visited the wife of his follower and showed her a clenched fist.
“What do you mean by that?” Asked the surprised woman.
“Suppose my hand is clenched all the time.” What do you call it? asked Mokusen.
“Mutilation,” the woman answered.
Then he opened his hand and asked again:
“Now suppose my hand is always in that position.” What is it then?
“Another form of mutilation,” the woman said.
“If you understand this well,” Mokusen finished, “you are a good wife.”
- And he left.
- After his visit, the wife began to help her husband both in savings and in spending.

One young man fell in love with a very beautiful girl. But the girl was proud, arrogant and cruel. He often asked to become his wife, but she only laughed at him. Unable to stand it, the guy exclaimed: “I will do whatever you ask, if only you were with me!” And then the proud beauty said: “Bring me your mother’s heart to prove her love for me.” Without hesitation, the unfortunate man rushed to run home, killed his mother, took out her heart, and ran back. Suddenly he stumbled and fell. And then the mother’s heart carefully asks: “Son, are you not hurt? Does it hurt, son? ”
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Once Jalaliddin Rumi, the great Sufi mystic, led his disciples to the same field, where for many months a farmer tried to dig a well. The students did not really want to go there: what's the point? All that the master wanted to say, he could say here. However, Jalaliddin insisted:
  - Come with me. Without this, you cannot understand what I am talking about.
  It turned out that the farmer was doing the following: starting to dig in one place, he stepped aside five to ten steps and began to dig again. Not finding water, he began to dig in a new place. The farmer had already dug eight holes and was digging the ninth. He ruined the whole field.
  Rumi said to his disciples: King Anovshirvan, whom the people also called Fair, once went on a pilgrimage around the country just at the time when the prophet Muhammad was born. On the mountainside illuminated by the sun, he saw the venerable old man hunched over the work. Accompanied by his courtiers, the king approached him and saw that the old man was planting small seedlings, not more than a year old.

One eastern ruler had a terrible dream. In a dream, he saw how one after another all his teeth fell out. Strongly troubled by this, he called on his interpreter of dreams. He listened very carefully to the story of the ruler and said:
  “My lord, I have to tell you bad news.” Just as you have lost all your teeth, you will lose one by one all your loved ones.
  This interpretation angered the ruler. The dream interpreter, unable to say anything good, was thrown into prison. Then the king called another interpreter of dreams. He, after listening to a story about a dream, said:
  “My lord, I have good news for you.” You will live longer than other members of your family. You will outlive them all.
  The king was delighted and generously awarded the interpreter for these words. The courtiers were amazed:
“Your words hardly differed from the words of your predecessor.” So why was he punished, and you received a reward? They asked.
  The lucky interpreter of dreams answered this:
  - You're right. We both interpreted the dream the same way. But the point is not only what to say, but also how to say it

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Any person sooner or later asks himself questions: “Why am I living? What is it? ”Someone answers easily and quickly, but someone still does not find the answer to their questions ... We hope that three small parables about the meaning of life will help you understand this difficult question.

Fisherman and businessman

Fig. Parables about the meaning of life: Fisherman and businessman

Once a very successful businessman arrived in a small village and, standing on the pier, saw a fisherman sitting in a small boat, pulled a large tuna out of the water. When the fisherman went ashore, the businessman sincerely envied the catch and asked how much time it took to catch such a big tuna. The fisherman replied that it took a couple of hours.

So it was necessary to stay in the sea longer and catch a few more fish, ”the businessman said.

This is quite enough for me, ”answered the fisherman.

What do you do the rest of the day? - the visitor inquired.

I have lunch, study with children, go with my wife to the village to talk with relatives and acquaintances, in the evening I drink wine and sing while playing the guitar. I just enjoy my life.

This is wrong, ”the businessman shook his head.“ You have to catch a lot of fish, sell it and buy a big boat. ”

“Your catch will increase significantly, and you will buy a fishing vessel, and then you will get a whole fleet,” the businessman said fervently.

What happened next?

And then you refuse the services of intermediaries and will carry fish directly to the fish processing plant. This will increase profits, and you can open your own production.

How much time will I spend on this? - asked the fisherman.

It will take about 20 years, - a little thought, answered the businessman.

You will sell your business for good money, stop working, buy a house on the seashore in a small village and enjoy life. It is very nice to sleep as much as you like, fish for your pleasure, play with the kids, walk with his wife and drink wine in the evenings, ”the businessman smiled rather.

miser and priest

Fig. Parables on the Meaning of Life: Hunks and Priests

Once, one miser met a priest and talked with him. He said that he makes a lot of money and saves every coin. Over the years, he has accumulated enormous wealth, but cannot stand his relatives, since they envy his wealth.

“They are all loafers and idlers,” said the squealer in an indignant voice, “the wimps who do not want to work.” And me, working tirelessly, is called stingy.

“They are deeply mistaken,” the priest shook his head, “I have never met such an open and generous person.”

You are telling the truth? the hunks asked incredulously.

Of course, the truth. You just think that thrifty, but in reality your generosity has no limits. Believe me, the day will come soon, and all that you have will go to the heirs. It will be both those whom you love and those whom you hate.

Teacher and pupil

Fig. Parables on the Meaning of Life: Teacher and Student

In a Chinese school, an old teacher invited a student to his office and said: "Look carefully at the room and find brown objects in it." The student looked around. There were a lot of brown objects around: a sofa, book bindings, a table, a cornice, to which curtains were attached, and every other little thing.

The teacher waited a little and said: “You remembered everything well, and now close your eyes and tell me objects that have a blue color.”

The student was bewildered and said: “But listen, teacher, you talked about brown, but I just didn’t notice blue.” To this the teacher shook his head and swept a hand around the room: "Look around, see how many blue objects are here."

That was true. The floor was covered with a blue carpet, photographs were inserted in blue frames, and a vase of blue glass flaunted on the table.

The student exclaimed: “But you acted dishonestly. At your direction, I was looking for everything brown, not blue. ” The teacher smiled: “This is exactly what I wanted to show you. At my request, you searched and found everything brown. It happens the same way in life. People seek and find only the bad, while losing the good. They are always taught to wait for trouble so as not to experience the pain of disappointment. After all, if you hope for the good, but it will not happen, it will be very disappointing. But if you always set yourself up for the worst, you will get exactly what you are waiting for. But if you believe that everything will turn out, then it will happen. From this moment you will look at the world differently, not missing the positive that is in it. "

17.07.2014 9119 +28

Short wise parables about life: Eastern wisdom

A parable is a short story, a story, a fable, with or without morality.
  A parable does not always teach life, but always gives a wise hint with deep meaning.
  The parables hide the meaning of life - a lesson for people, but not everyone has been given the meaning to see it.
  A parable is not a fictional story, it is a life story about real events. From generation to generation, parables were passed from mouth to mouth, but at the same time they did not lose their wisdom and simplicity.
  Many parables describe the stories that occur in everyday life, many of the events described in the parables are very similar to ours. The parable teaches us to look at things from different angles and to act wisely and reasonably.
  If the parable seemed incomprehensible or meaningless - this does not mean that the parable is bad. We just are not prepared enough to understand it. Rereading the parables, each time you can find in them something new and wise.
  So, we read the eastern parables, think and wise!

Three important questions

The ruler of one country strove for all wisdom. Rumors have come to him that there is a certain hermit who knows the answers to all questions. The ruler came to him and sees: a decrepit old man, digging a garden. He jumped off his horse and bowed to the old man.

  “I came to get an answer to three questions: who is the most important person on earth, what is the most important thing in life, what day is more important than everyone else.”

The hermit did not answer and continued to dig. The ruler undertook to help him.

Suddenly he sees: a man is walking along the road - his whole face is covered in blood. The ruler stopped him, comforted him with a kind word, brought water from a stream, washed and bandaged the traveler’s wounds. Then he took him to the hermit's shack and put him to bed.

The next morning he looks - the hermit sows the garden bed.

  “Hermit,” the ruler prayed, “can you really not answer my questions?”

  “You yourself have already answered them,” he said.

  - How? - the ruler was amazed.

  “Seeing my old age and weakness, you took pity on me and volunteered to help,” said the hermit. - While you dug up a bed, I was the most important person for you, and helping me was the most important thing for you. A wounded man appeared - his need was more acute than mine. And he has become the most important person for you, and helping him is the most important thing. It turns out that the most important person is the one who needs your help. And the most important thing is the good you do to him.

  “Now I can answer my third question: what day in a person’s life is more important than the others,” the ruler said. - The most important day is today.

   Most valuable

One person in childhood was very friendly with the old neighbor.

But time passed, school and hobbies appeared, then work and personal life. Every minute the young man was busy, and he did not have time either to remember the past, or even to stay with relatives.

Once he found out that the neighbor was dead - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the dead father with the boy. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.

In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the deserted house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago ...

But the little golden box in which, according to the old man, the most valuable thing was stored for him, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of the few relatives took her, the man left the house.

However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing her neighbor’s name on her, the man started and opened the package.

Inside was that same golden box. It contained a pocket gold watch with an engraving: "Thank you for the time that you spent with me."

And he realized - the most valuable thing for the old man was the time spent with his little friend.

Since then, the man tried to devote as much time as possible to his wife and son.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths. It is measured by the number of moments that make us hold our breath.

Time flows away from us every second. And it should be useful to spend right now.

Life as it is

I will tell you a parable: in ancient times, a heartbroken woman who lost her son came to Gautam Buddha. And she began to beg the almighty to return her child. And Buddha told the woman to return to the village and collect a mustard seed from each family, in which they would not burn at least one member of it on the funeral pyre. And bypassing her village and many others, the poor man did not find any such family. And the woman understood that death is a natural and inevitable outcome for all living. And the woman accepted her life as it is, with its inevitable departure to non-existence, with the eternal circulation of lives.

Butterflies and fire

Three butterflies, flying up to a burning candle, began to talk about the nature of fire. One, flying to the flame, returned and said:

  - The fire is shining.

Another flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said:

  - He's burning!

The third, flying very close, disappeared in the fire and did not return. She found out what she wanted to know, but was no longer able to tell the rest about it.

The one who receives knowledge is deprived of the opportunity to speak about him, therefore, the knower is silent, but the speaker does not know.

To understand fate

Zhuang Tzu's wife died, and Hui Tzu came to mourn her. Chuang Tzu squatted and sang songs, striking in the basin. Hui Tzu said:

  - Do not mourn the deceased, who lived with you until old age and raised your children - this is too much. But singing songs, striking in the basin, - just no good!

  “You're wrong,” said Chuang Tzu. “When she died, could I not be sad at first?” Grieving, I began to think about what she was in the beginning, when I had not yet been born. And not only was not born, but was not yet a body. And not only was not a body, but was not even a breath. I realized that she was scattered in the void of boundless chaos.

Chaos turned - and she became breath. The breath turned - and she became a body. The body has turned - and she was born. Now a new transformation has come - and she has died. All this changed each other, as the four seasons alternate. Man is buried in the abyss of transformation, as if in the chambers of a huge house.

Money can not buy happiness

The student asked the Master:

  - How true are the words that happiness is not in money?

He replied that they were completely faithful. And to prove it is simple.

For money you can buy a bed, but not a dream; food, but not appetite; medicines, but not health; servants, but not friends; women, but not love; home, but not a home; entertainment, but not joy; education, but not the mind.

And what is called does not end there.

Walk straight!

Once there lived a lumberjack, who was in a very distress. He existed for the insignificant sums of money earned for firewood, which he brought to the city on himself from the nearest forest.

Once a sannyasin, walking along the road, saw him at work and advised him to go further into the forest, saying:

  - Go ahead, go ahead!

The lumberjack obeyed the advice, went to the forest and walked forward until he reached the sandalwood. He was very pleased with this find, cut down a tree and, taking with him as many pieces of it as he could carry, sold them in the market for a good price. Then he began to wonder why the good sannyasin did not tell him that there was sandalwood in the forest, but simply advised him to go forward.

The next day, reaching a felled tree, he went on and found copper deposits. He took with him as much copper as he could carry and, selling it at the bazaar, earned even more money.

The next day, he found gold, then - diamonds, and finally acquired huge wealth.

This is precisely the situation of a person who strives for true knowledge: if he does not stop in his movement after he reaches some paranormal forces, then, in the end, he will find the wealth of eternal Knowledge and Truth.

Two snowflakes

It was snowing. The weather was calm, and large fluffy snowflakes slowly circled in a fancy dance, slowly approaching the ground.

Two snowflakes flying nearby decided to start a conversation. Fearing to lose each other, they joined hands, and one of them cheerfully says:

  - How nice to fly, enjoy the flight!

  “We are not flying, we are just falling,” the second answered sadly.

  - Soon we will meet with the earth and turn into a white fluffy bedspread!

  - No, we are flying towards death, but they will simply trample us on earth.

  - We will become streams and rush to the sea. We will live forever! - said the first.

  “No, we will melt and disappear forever,” the second objected.

Finally they were tired of arguing. They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate that she herself had chosen.

Great good

The rich man asked the Zen master to write something good and encouraging, something that would bring great benefit to his whole family. “It should be something that every member of our family thinks about in relation to others,” the rich man said.

He gave a large piece of snow-white expensive paper on which the master wrote: “Father will die, son will die, grandson will die. And all in one day. "

The rich man was furious when he read what the master wrote to him: “I asked you to write something good for my family, so that it brings joy and prosperity to my family. Why did you write something that upsets me? ”

  “If the son dies before you,” the master answered, “it will be an irreparable loss for your entire family.” If a grandson dies before your son dies, it will be a great sorrow for all. But if your whole family, generation after generation, dies in one day, it will be a real gift of fate. This will be great happiness and blessing for your entire family. ”

Heaven and Hell

Once upon a time there was one person. And he spent most of his life figuring out how hell is different from heaven. On this subject, he thought for days and nights.

And then one day he had an unusual dream. He went to hell. And he sees people there who are sitting in front of the boilers with food. And each one has a large spoon with a very long handle. But these people look hungry, thin and haggard. They can scoop from the boiler, but they won’t get into the mouth. And they swear, fight, beat each other with spoons.

Suddenly another person runs up to him and shouts:

  - Hey, let's go faster, show the road leading to paradise.

They arrived in paradise. And they see people there who are sitting in front of the boilers with food. And each one has a large spoon with a very long handle. But they look full, happy and happy. When they looked closely, they saw that they were feeding each other. Man must go to man with good - that’s heaven.

The secret of happiness

One merchant sent his son to seek the secret of happiness from the wisest of all people. The young man walked through the desert for forty days and, finally, approached the beautiful castle on the top of the mountain. There lived the sage whom he sought.

However, instead of the expected meeting with a holy man, our hero entered the hall, where everything was seething: merchants came in and out, people chatted in the corner, a small orchestra played sweet melodies and there was a table, laden with the most exquisite dishes of this area. The sage talked with different people, and the young man had to wait about two hours for his turn.

The sage carefully listened to the young man’s explanations about the purpose of his visit, but said in response that he did not have time to reveal the secret of happiness to him. And he invited him to walk around the palace and come again in two hours.

  “However, I want to ask for a favor,” the sage added, handing the young man a small spoon in which he put two drops of oil:

  - During the walk, hold this spoon in your hand so that the oil does not spill out.

The young man began to rise and descend the palace stairs, not taking his eyes off the spoon. Two hours later he again came to the sage.

  - Well, how? He asked. “Have you seen the Persian rugs that are in my dining room?” Have you seen the park that the main gardener has been building for ten years? Have you noticed the beautiful parchments in my library?

The young man, embarrassed, had to admit that he did not see anything. His only concern was not to shed the drops of oil that the Sage had entrusted to him.

  “Well then, come back and get acquainted with the wonders of my universe,” the Sage told him. “You cannot trust a person if you are unfamiliar with the house in which he lives.”

Reassured, the young man took a spoon and again went for a walk around the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art hung on the walls and ceilings of the palace. He saw gardens surrounded by mountains, delicate flowers, the sophistication with which each of the works of art was placed exactly where needed. Returning to the sage, he described in detail everything he saw.

“And where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” Asked the sage.

And the young man, looking at the spoon, discovered that the oil had spilled.

  “This is the only advice I can give you: the secret of happiness is to look at all the wonders of the world, while never forgetting two drops of oil in a spoon.”

Preaching

Once a mullah decided to appeal to believers. But one young groom came to listen to him. The mullah thought to himself: “Should I speak or not?” And he decided to ask the groom:

  “There is nobody here besides you, do you think I should speak or not?”

The groom answered:

  - Sir, I am a simple person, I do not understand anything about this. But when I come to the stable and see that all the horses have fled, and there is only one left, I will still give her something to eat.

Mullah, taking these words to heart, began his sermon. He spoke for more than two hours, and when finished, he felt relief in his soul. He wanted to hear confirmation of how good his speech was. He asked:

  “How did you like my sermon?”

  - I have already said that I am a simple person and do not really understand all this. But if I come to the stable and see that all the horses have fled, and there is only one left, I will feed her anyway. But I will not give her all the food that is intended for all horses.

The Parable of Positive Thinking

Once, an old Chinese teacher told his student:

  “Please take a good look at this room and try to note everything that is brown in it.”

The young man looked around. The room had a lot of brown objects: wooden picture frames, a sofa, a curtain rod for curtains, school desks, book bindings and many other small things.

  “Now close your eyes and list all the items ... blue,” the teacher asked.

The young man was confused:

  “But I didn’t notice anything!”

Then the teacher said:

  - Open your eyes. Just look at how many blue things there are.

That was true: a blue vase, blue frames of photographs, a blue carpet, a blue shirt of an old teacher.

And the teacher said:

  “Look at all these lost objects!”

The student answered:

  “But it's a trick!” After all, at your order I was looking for brown, not blue objects.

Master sighed quietly, and then smiled: - That is what I wanted to show you. You searched and found only brown. It also happens to you in life. You seek and find only the bad and miss the good.

I have always been taught that the worst is to be expected, and then you will never be disappointed. And if the worst does not happen, then a pleasant surprise awaits me. And if I always hope for the best, then I will only put myself at risk of disappointment.

Do not lose sight of all the good that is happening in our lives. If you expect the worst, then be sure to get it. And vice versa.

You can find a point of view from which each experience will have a positive meaning. From this moment you will look for something positive in everything and in everyone.

How to achieve the goal?

A great archery master named Drona trained his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what he saw.

One said:

  - I see a tree and a target on it.

Another said:

  - I see a tree, the rising sun, birds in the sky ...

All the rest answered roughly the same.

Then Drona went to his best student Arjuna and asked:

  - And what do you see?

He replied:

  “I can't see anything but the target.”

And Drona said:

  - Only such a person can hit the target.

hidden treasures

In ancient India, a poor man lived, whose name was Ali Hafed.

Once a Buddhist priest came to him and told him how the world was created: “Once the earth was a continuous fog. And then the Almighty extended his fingers to the fog, and he turned into a ball of fire. And this ball rushed through the universe until the rain fell on the ground and cooled its surface. Then the fire, breaking the earth's surface, burst out. So mountains and valleys, hills and prairies arose.

When the molten mass flowing over the surface of the earth cooled rapidly, it turned into granite. If it cools slowly, it becomes copper, silver or gold. And after gold, diamonds were created. ”

  “Diamond,” said the sage to Ali Hafed, “this is a frozen drop of sunlight.” If you had a thumb-sized diamond, ”continued the priest,“ then you could buy the whole district. ” But if you owned diamond deposits, you could have put all your children on the throne, and all this thanks to great wealth.

Ali Hafed learned all that could be learned about diamonds this evening. But went to bed, as always, the poor. He did not lose anything, but he was poor because he was not satisfied, and was not satisfied because he was afraid that he was poor.

All night, Ali Hafed did not sleep a wink. He only thought about diamond deposits.

Early in the morning, he woke up an old Buddhist priest and began to beg him to tell him where to find the diamonds. The priest did not agree at first. But Ali Hafed was so insistent that the old man finally said:

  - Oh well. You must find the river that flows in the white sands among the high mountains. There, in these white sands, you will find diamonds.

And then Ali Hafed sold his farm, left his family to a neighbor and went away to look for diamonds. He went further and further, but could not find treasures. In complete despair, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.

Once a man who bought Ali Hafed’s farm decided to water a camel in the garden. And when the camel poked its nose into the stream, this man suddenly noticed a strange sparkling coming from the white sand from the bottom of the stream. He lowered his hands into the water and pulled out a stone from which this fiery radiance emanated. He brought this unusual stone home, put it on a shelf.

Once, the same old Buddhist priest came to visit the new owner. Opening the door, he immediately saw a glow over the fireplace. Rushing to him, and exclaimed:

  - This is a diamond! Ali Hafed is back?

  “No,” replied Ali Hafed’s successor. - Ali Hafed has not returned. And this is a simple stone that I found in my creek.

  - You're wrong! - exclaimed the priest. “I recognize a diamond from a thousand other gems.” I swear to all saints, this is a diamond!

And then they went to the garden and rummaged through all the white sand in the stream. And in it they found gems even more amazing and more valuable than the first. The most valuable is always nearby.
*

The parable of ungrateful children

One man grew old and saw almost nothing, his hands weakened, and his hearing dulled. He almost could not hold a spoon and constantly dropped food on the floor. His family daily turned away in disgust from the unfortunate person who was not able to get enough food normally. The son and daughter-in-law decided to put him a table away from his eyes. The old man was seated in the hallway, but even there he smudged the floor, because he was not able to hold the plate. The woman became angry, and her husband prepared a feeding trough for his father, as for a cow. But one day a little granddaughter came up to dad and told him:

“Please do one thing to me.” I brought you a small piece of a dried trunk lying in our yard.

“Of course, son, what would you like to have?” - he answered affectionately.

- Make me a feeding trough, like grandfather’s. And then you will soon grow old, and then I will not know how to serve food every day.

The son and daughter-in-law blushed and immediately transplanted the old man to the common table. Now he was fed in the best possible way.

Parable of the essence of marriage

One young man did not know how to find a suitable bride. He simply could not manage to find the most worthy girl. Some of them were not good enough, others were not too working, and others were very poorly educated. The young man was not able to stop at anyone. Then he went to the elder of his village and asked him for good advice. The elderly man carefully considered his words and then said:

- Yes, it’s not easy for you. Tell me, do you love your mother?

The young man could not believe his ears.

- Why do you ask? Is she the culprit that I cannot find a bride? But since you are curious, I’ll say: sometimes I get angry with her because of her constant grumpiness. She very often talks different nonsense, every day she complains about some utter nonsense and grumbles at the slightest occasion.

The elder shook his head reproachfully and said:

“Now I understand what your trouble is.” Love and joy in marriage depend on the attitude towards your parents. The ability to experience strong feelings is already in the soul of a person. From an early age he gives his heart to the first people in his life - father and mother. It is from them that the power is transmitted to experience kindness and pity. If you adore your mother, then all the other women will seem wonderful to you. Out of gratitude to her, you will begin to relate well to everyone else. Go home and learn to love and honor your mother. Then your attitude towards girls will change quickly. You will understand what their value is.

- And in order not to make a mistake again, choose a bride who truly loves and honors her parents. If she respects her father with true respect, she will also love her husband. If you begin to respect your mother, then you can also become a good spouse. People who do not value their closest relatives will never be able to create a full-fledged family.

The Parable of Lasting Marriage

The old man and the old woman have been married for more than half a century. People admired the fortress of their family. One young man who was about to marry soon decided to find out their secret. He went to an old man and asked him:

“I think that the whole point of your happiness is that you and your wife tried never to quarrel.”

“No, they were still quarreling,” the couple smiled.

“I understood that you were very well provided, so discontent rarely visited your souls.”

“Not at all, they knew both extreme poverty and everyday poverty.”

- And what, you never wanted to part with each other?

“We have had hard times,” the old woman answered with a sigh.

“But then I don’t understand, but how did you manage to save the family after all?”

- Son, we were just born in those old years, when it was not yet customary to throw away something and get a new one. Things were repaired indefinitely, and not immediately taken to the trash.

Parables about the relationship between people

The Parable of Excessive Openness

One young girl did not know how to get along with other people. She cried for a long time, and then turned to the old woman from her village.

“What should I do, grandmother,” she asked her. “I try so hard to treat my fellow villagers kindly; I do not refuse anyone their requests.” And in response I get one evil. They constantly laugh at me and do not even try to do me anything good. And some people behave simply hostile. What should I do with them further?

The old woman only smiled at the girl. She advised her:

- And you take off your dress and go out naked on the street.

- What are you, grandmother! Why are you offering me that? - the girl was offended by her. “People will laugh at me, and men will despise.”

The old woman went to the dresser and took out a small mirror. She silently set him in front of a surprised girl.

“Look here,” she told her, “you do not want to appear naked on the street.” And with an open soul, you are not afraid to walk. You do not hide it from people, and then you are surprised that everyone is able to spit on it. Every person has it like a mirror. People around him look at him, but they only see themselves. Bad is its reflection, good is its own. And the evil does not want to think that he sees the truth, it is easier for him to assume that the other is bad.

“What should I do now?” - asked her girl distressedly.

“Or follow me, daughter, look at my favorite garden.” I have been caring for him carefully all my life, but not a single flower has opened in my presence. I see a plant that has already blossomed and enjoy its beautiful view. We should learn this. No need to rush towards a person. Open your soul to him very slowly, imperceptibly for him. If you realize that he is able to defile her, lock yourself in yourself. You should also not help those who will not be grateful for your kindness and repay only evil for it. Turn your back on these people. Open your heart only to the person who will truly appreciate and cherish it.

The parable of rudeness

One drunkard passed the sage and kicked him with anger. But he didn’t even move. The bully really wanted a big scandal, and he brazenly asked the old man:

“And if I give you one more time?” Why don't you answer me the same?

The elderly man was silent for a very long time, but, seeing that the loafer was not leaving, he said wearily:

- It so happens that some person suddenly kicks loose horse. But he does not yell at her in this case and does not demand an apology from her. He simply turns away, leaves, and henceforth tries to avoid approaching her.

The parable of mercy

One blind man sat on the side of the road and asked people for alms. But they threw very little money to him and by the end of the day only a few coins were in his hat. Nearby was a young girl who picked up a cardboard with a request for alms, lying at his feet and wrote something on it.

The beggar shook his head, but did not utter a word. After a while, he caught the smell of her perfume and realized that the woman was returning. But his hat was already full of money. People threw not only coins into it, but also large bills.

- Daughter, what did you write on the cardboard? - blindly asked her with appreciation.

- Everything remains on it, as before, I only slightly improved its content. I wrote below: "A man will never in his life be able to admire the beauty that surrounds him."

Parables of Human Qualities

The parable of the need for careful consideration

In the underground lived an old mouse with its many offspring. The house was rich and the animals did not know either troubles or hunger. After sunset, they appeared in the kitchen and gnawed supplies.

The owner was tired of their invasion, and he took to his farm a young cat. He quickly got down to business and the mice no longer knew where to hide from him. Every day he caught someone, and their livestock began to rapidly decrease.

The animals decided to find a way out of this difficult situation. They convened a general meeting, and then began to judge and argue how they should be next. All offered something of their own. One mouse screamed that the cat should be fed poison, the other advised to kill her with a large stone, the third came up with a way to drop her from the stairs and so on to infinity.

Finally, one of the oldest representatives of the tribe came out and said:

Let’s get some bells somewhere and hang them on the neck of a cat? Then he will not be able to take a step more so that we do not know where he is. And we always have time to be saved on time.

The mice readily agreed with the amazing proposal and considered it the best of the proposals. But suddenly, a tiny animal asked for words, which had always been silent before. He said:

You have proposed very wise solutions. Follow them would be just fine. The thought of a bell simply delighted me. But who exactly will be assigned to fulfill the assignment?

Everyone was silent. It was clear that even the best idea loses its meaning if it is not well understood and has no ways to solve it.

The parable of love and beauty

An elderly person knew a lot about people's lives. Therefore, he told everyone that in heart matters, reason can do little to help, and only the heart is wise. When others asked him what these words meant, he told them one incident.

“A young man crossed the river every day for a meeting with his darling. He overcame stormy waves and did not pay attention to steep rapids. But, once, having met with his beloved, he found that a pimple popped up from a girl. Returning, he thought: “No. She's not perfect at all. ” And at that moment the forces left him, and he drowned. All this time he was allowed to stay afloat only with the strength that his feeling for her gave him. ”

Parable about an unworthy way to execute plans

One chicken turned to the ox. She said:

I would like to fly to the top of a huge cypress tree, but I know that I can never do this.

I advise you to take up the dunghill. Nowhere else is such a large number of truly useful, imparting substances contained.

The chicken went up to her and began to peck. She ate and overpowered the lower branch of cypress. The next day she again took up her own business and managed to fly up to the next branch. So, day after day, she gradually managed to climb the crown of a tree. She proudly surveyed those around and did not notice the hunter approaching her. He suddenly threw up his gun, and a minute later the chicken was already at his feet.

Therefore, you should not resort to inappropriate means to achieve the goal in order to fly up to too high a post. You can’t stay on it anyway.

Parable of righteousness

One day a man came to the priest and asked him:

- Help me with advice. I would like to stand on the path of virtue, but I do not know where I need to start.

He considered his words and said:

- Nothing special is required. Go back to your home and continue your usual earthly journey, as before. Open the Bible: it says that any sinner does evil, but the Lord does not turn away from him. The righteous does good to people - and God always abides with him. The hermit silently lives in the dull silence of his cell, but even in such a case, the Almighty remains nearby. Do not change anything in your daily existence. The only thing that needs to be done is to avoid the impurity of the soul and thoughts.

The Parable of Self Confidence

One youth asked Master:

“You told us many times that for wisdom, knowing yourself is an important condition.” But I have no idea how to achieve it.

The teacher looked approvingly at the young man and answered:

- And you do not let others judge you.

“And how can I not allow them, Master?” The young man asked.

- Imagine one person comes up to you and says that you are not good enough. You listen to him and lose heart. The other, on the contrary, believes that nobody is better than you. You feel happy. All people have an opinion about you, high or low. They cannot tell you what you really are. Do not let them make their judgments aloud. And I should not do that either. The only person who is able to say what you are is you yourself.