Parables about love are beautiful and wise. The best parables about the meaning of life, life problems and life goals Parable Eastern wisdom
The genre of parables has a venerable age. Instructive stories have long preserved the wisdom of the generations that inhabited the Earth. Oriental parables are marked by their unique color. Their heroes are gods, rulers, wandering monks, in a word, bearers of the truth about the world. On the pages of this book, they address readers with a word about love, kindness, happiness and the benefits of science. They warn against plunging into the abyss of vices, such as slander, greed, human stupidity. The parables and legends included in the book, which existed in the Arab, Chinese and Indian world, are given in the presentation of the brilliant Russian feuilletonist Vlas Doroshevich.
- Arabic parables and legends
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by the LitRes company.
© Design. AST Publishing House LLC, 2017
Arabic parables and legends
The Arabs, as you know, my friend, and everything is Arabic. In the Arab State Duma - they call it Dum-Dum - they decided to finally start issuing laws.
Returning from their places, from their camps, the chosen Arabs shared their impressions. One Arab said:
“It seems that the population is not particularly pleased with us. One of them hinted at this to me. Called us slackers.
Others agreed.
“And I have heard hints. We are called parasites.
- They called me a bum.
- And they set fire to me with a stone.
And they decided to take up the laws.
- It is necessary to issue such a law at once, so that its truth is evident to everyone.
And that he did not stir up any disputes.
- Everyone should agree with him.
And so that he does not bring loss to anyone.
He will be wise and kind to everyone!
The chosen Arabs thought and came up with:
“Let’s make a law that two and two make four.”
- Truth!
- And it doesn't hurt anyone.
Someone objected:
“But everyone already knows this.
They reasonably replied:
Everyone knows that stealing is not allowed. However, the law says so.
And the Arab elects, gathered in a solemn assembly, decided:
- It is declared a law, ignorance of which no one can excuse, that always and under all circumstances twice two will be four.
Upon learning of this, the viziers - that's how Arab ministers are called, my friend - were very worried. And they went to the grand vizier, who was as wise as gray.
They bowed and said:
“Have you heard that the children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, have begun to legislate?
The Grand Vizier stroked his gray beard and said:
- I'll stay.
- That they have already issued a law: twice two is four?
The Grand Vizier replied:
- I'll stay.
“Yes, but they will reach Allah knows what. They will issue a law so that it is light during the day and dark at night. So that the water is wet and the sand is dry. And the inhabitants will be sure that it is light during the day, not because the sun is shining, but because the children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, decided so. And that the water is wet and the sand is dry, not because Allah created it that way, but because they decreed it that way. People will believe in the wisdom and omnipotence of the chosen Arabs. And they will think of themselves Allah knows what!
The Grand Vizier calmly said:
“Whether Dum-Dum legislates or not, I remain. If it exists, I remain, and if it does not exist, I also remain. It will be twice two four, or one, or a hundred, - no matter what happens, I stay, stay and stay, as long as Allah wants me to stay.
Thus spoke his wisdom.
Wisdom is dressed in serenity, like a mullah in a white turban. And the excited viziers went to the meeting of the sheikhs ... This is something like their State Council, my friend. They went to the assembly of sheikhs and said:
- You can't leave it like this. It is impossible for the elected Arabs to take away such power in the country. And you must take action.
And a great meeting of sheikhs gathered, with the participation of viziers.
The first among the sheikhs, their chairman, stood up, did not bow to anyone out of importance and said:
- Glorious and wise sheikhs. The children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, did what the most skillful conspirators, the most malicious rebels, the greatest robbers and the most vile swindlers did: they announced that two times two makes four. Thus they forced the very truth to serve their vile purposes. Their calculation is clear to our wisdom. They want to accustom the stupid population to the idea that the truth itself speaks through their lips. And then, no matter what law they issue, the stupid population will consider everything to be true: “After all, it was decided by the elected Arabs, who said that twice two is four.” To crush this villainous design and discourage them from legislating, we must repeal their law. But how to do it when two times two is really four?!
The sheikhs were silent, arranging their beards, and finally turned to the old sheikh, the former grand vizier, the sage, and said:
You are the father of misfortune.
So, my friend, the Arabs call the constitution.
- The doctor who made the incision should be able to heal it. May your wisdom open its mouth. You were in charge of the treasury, made lists of income and expenses, lived all your life among numbers. Tell us if there is any way out of the hopeless situation. Is it true that twice two is always four?
The sage, the former grand vizier, the father of misfortune, stood up, bowed and said:
“I knew you would ask me. Because, although they call me the father of misfortune, with all the dislike for me, they always ask me in difficult times. So a person who tears his teeth does not give pleasure to anyone. But when nothing helps with a toothache, they send for him. On the way from the warm shore where I lived, contemplating how the purple sun plunges into the azure sea, stripes of its gold, I recalled all the reports and paintings that I made, and found that twice two can be anything. Looking as needed. And four, and more, and less. There were reports and murals where twice two was fifteen, but there were where twice two was three. Looking at what needed to be proven. Rarely twice two was four. At least I don't remember such a case. So says the experience of life, the father of wisdom.
Listening to him, the viziers were delighted, and the sheikhs were in despair and asked:
- What is arithmetic, after all? Science or art?
The old sheikh, the former Grand Vizier, the father of misfortune, thought, became embarrassed and said:
- Art!
Then the sheikhs, in despair, turned to the vizier, who was in charge of learning in the country, and asked:
– In your position, you constantly deal with scientists. Tell us, vizier, what do they say?
The vizier stood up, bowed, smiled and said:
- They say: "What do you want." Knowing that your question would not escape me, I turned to those scientists who remained with me and asked them: “How much is two times two?” They bowed and replied: "As many as you order." So, no matter how much I asked them, I could not get any other answer than: "as you please" and "as you command." Arithmetic has been replaced by obedience in my schools, as have other subjects.
Sheikhs fell into deep grief. And they exclaimed:
- It does honor, O vizier, head of scholarship, and to those scientists that you have left, and to your ability to choose. Perhaps such scientists will lead the youth on the right path, but they do not lead us out of the difficulty.
And the sheikhs turned to Sheikh-ul-Islam.
- By your duties, you always deal with mullahs and are close to divine truths. Tell us the truth. Twice two is always four?
Sheikh-ul-Islam stood up, bowed on all sides and said:
- Venerable, most noble sheikhs, whose wisdom is covered with gray hairs, like a dead man with a silver veil. Live and learn. Two brothers lived in the city of Baghdad. God-fearing people, but people. And they had a concubine. On the same day, the brothers, who acted in harmony with each other in everything, took concubines for themselves, and on the same day the concubines conceived from them. And when the time of childbirth approached, the brothers said to themselves: “We want our children to be born not from concubines, but from our lawful wives.” And they called the mullah to bless their two marriages. Mulla rejoiced in his heart at such a pious decision of the brothers, blessed them and said: “I am crowning your two unions. Now there will be one family of four.” But the minute he said this, both newlyweds were relieved of their burdens. And twice two became six. The family began to consist of six people. This is what happened in the city of Baghdad, and what I know. And Allah knows more than me.
The sheikhs listened with delight to this case from life, and the vizier in charge of the country's trade rose and said:
- Not always, however, twice two is six. This is what happened in the glorious city of Damascus. One man, foreseeing the need for a small coin, went to the robber ...
The Arabs, my friend, do not yet have the word "banker." And they just say "robber" in the old way.
- I went, I say, to the robber and exchanged two gold ones for silver piastres. The robber took the exchange and gave the man one and a half gold pieces of silver. But it did not happen as the man expected, and he did not need a small silver coin. Then he went to another robber and asked him to exchange silver for gold. The second robber took the same amount for exchange and gave the man one gold piece. So twice exchanged two gold turned into one. And twice two turned out to be one. That's what happened in Damascus and it's happening, sheikhs, everywhere.
Sheikhs, listening to this, were indescribably delighted:
“This is what life teaches. Real life. And not some chosen Arabs, children of misfortune.
They thought and decided:
- The chosen Arabs said that two times two makes four. But life refutes them. It is impossible to issue lifeless laws. Sheikh-ul-Islam says that two times two is six, and the vizier in charge of trade pointed out that two times two is one. In order to maintain complete independence, the assembly of sheikhs decides that twice two is five.
And they approved the law decreed by the elected Arabs.
“Let them not say that we do not approve their laws. And they only changed one word. Instead of "four" put "five".
The law read like this:
- It is declared a law, ignorance of which no one can excuse, that always and under all circumstances twice two will be five.
The case was submitted to the conciliation commission. Everywhere, my friend, where there is “unhappiness”, there are conciliation commissions.
There was a fierce dispute. Representatives of the council of sheikhs said:
"Aren't you ashamed to argue over one word?" Only one word has been changed to you in the whole law, and you are making such a fuss. Be ashamed!
And the representatives of the elected Arabs said:
“We cannot return to our Arabs without victory!”
We argued for a long time.
And finally, the representatives of the elected Arabs declared emphatically:
“Either you give in, or we leave!”
The representatives of the council of sheikhs consulted among themselves and said:
- Good. We will make you a concession. You say four, we say five. Let no one be offended. Not your way, not ours. We give up half. Let two and two be four and a half.
The representatives of the elected Arabs consulted among themselves:
Still, some law is better than none.
“Still, we forced them to make a concession.
- You won't get any more.
And they announced:
- Good. Agree.
And a conciliation commission from the elected Arabs and the council of sheikhs declared:
- It is declared a law, ignorance of which no one can excuse, that always and under all circumstances twice two will be four and a half.
This was announced through heralds in all the bazaars. And everyone was delighted.
The viziers were delighted:
- They gave a lesson to the chosen Arabs, so that even twice two four was proclaimed with caution.
Sheikhs were delighted:
- It didn't work out the way they did!
The chosen Arabs were delighted:
- Still, the council of sheikhs was forced to make concessions.
Everyone congratulated themselves on their victory.
And the country? The country was in the greatest delight. Even chickens - and they were having fun.
There are such things, my friend, in the world of Arabian tales.
fairy tale
One day
Allah Akbar! By creating a woman, you have created a fantasy.
She said to herself:
- Why not? There are many houris in the prophet's paradise, many beauties in the earthly paradise - in the caliph's harem. In the gardens of the prophet, I would not have been the last of the houris, among the wives of the padishah, perhaps, I would have been the first of the wives, and among the odalisques, the first of his odalisques. Where corals are brighter than my lips, and their breath is like the air of noon. My legs are slender, and like two lilies my chest is like lilies, on which specks of blood appeared. Happy is he who bows his head on my chest. He will have strange dreams. Like the moon on the first day of the full moon, my face is bright. My eyes burn like black diamonds, and the one who, in a moment of passion, looks into them close, close - no matter how great he is! – will see himself in them so small, so small that he will laugh. Allah created me in a moment of joy, and all of me is a song to my creator.
I took it and went. Dressed only in her beauty.
On the threshold of the palace, a guard stopped her with horror.
- What do you want here, a woman who forgot to put on more than just a veil!
- I want to see the glorious and powerful Sultan Harun al-Rashid, padishah and caliph, our great ruler. Allah alone will be the ruler on earth.
May the will of Allah be in everything. What is your name? shamelessness?
– My name is Truth. I'm not angry with you, warrior. Truth is often mistaken for shamelessness, just as lies are for shame. Go and report me.
In the palace of the caliph, everyone was excited when they learned that the Truth had come.
– Her arrival often means departure for many! Grand Vizier Giaffar said thoughtfully.
And all the viziers sensed the danger.
But she is a woman! Giaffar said. - It is customary for us that the one who does not understand anything in it is engaged in any business. That is why eunuchs are in charge of women.
He turned to the great eunuch. The guardian of peace, honor and happiness of the padishah. And said to him:
“The greatest of eunuchs!” There came a woman relying on her beauty. Delete her. Remembering, however, that all this takes place in the palace. Delete her in a courtly manner. So that everything was beautiful and decent.
The great eunuch came out onto the porch and looked with dead eyes at the naked woman.
Do you want to see the Caliph? But the Caliph should not see you like this.
- Why?
This is how they come into this world. In this form, they leave him. But you can't walk like this in this world.
Truth is only good when it is naked truth.
“Your words sound right, like the law. But the padishah is above the law. And the padishah will not see you like this!
“Allah created me this way. Beware, eunuch, to condemn or blame. Condemnation would be madness, censure would be insolence.
“I do not dare to condemn or condemn what Allah has created. But Allah created the potatoes raw. However, before the potatoes are eaten, they are boiled. Allah created lamb meat full of blood. But in order to eat lamb meat, it is first fried. Allah created rice as hard as bone. And to eat rice, people boil it and sprinkle it with saffron. What would be said about a person who would eat raw potatoes, raw mutton meat and gnaw raw rice, saying: “This is how Allah created them!” So is a woman. In order to be undressed, she must first be dressed.
“Potatoes, lamb, rice!” Truth exclaimed indignantly. - And what about apples, and pears, fragrant melons? Are they also boiled, eunuch, before they are eaten?
The eunuch smiled the way eunuchs and toads smile.
- The rind is cut off the melon. Skin is removed from apples and pears. If you want us to do the same with you...
The truth hastened to leave.
– With whom did you speak this morning, at the entrance to the palace and, it seems, spoke sternly? - Haroun al-Rashid asked the guardian of his peace, honor and happiness. “And why was there such confusion in the palace?”
- Some woman, shameless to the point that she wants to walk the way Allah created her, wanted to see you! replied the great eunuch.
- Pain will give birth to fear, and fear will give birth to shame! the caliph said. - If this woman is shameless, do with her according to the law!
We do your will before it's even spoken! - said Grand Vizier Giaffar, kissing the ground at the feet of the ruler. “That’s what happened to a woman!”
And the Sultan, looking at him with benevolence, said:
- Allah Akbar!
Allah Akbar! By creating woman, you have created stubbornness.
It occurred to the truth to enter the palace. To the palace of Haroun al-Rashid himself.
Truth put on a sackcloth, girded herself with a rope, took a staff in her hand and again came to the palace.
- I am Rebuke! she said sternly to the guard. “In the name of Allah, I demand that I be admitted to the caliph.
And the guard was terrified - the guards are always horrified when a stranger approaches the Caliph's palace - the guard ran in horror to the Grand Vizier.
“That woman again! - he said. “She is covered with a sackcloth and calls herself Rebuke. But I saw in her eyes that she was the Truth.
The viziers were excited.
“What disrespect for the Sultan to go against our will!”
And Giaffar said:
- Conviction? This is about the Grand Mufti.
He called the Grand Mufti and bowed to him:
May your righteousness save us! Act pious and courtly.
The Grand Mufti went out to the woman, bowed to the ground and said:
- Are you Rebuke? May your every step on earth be blessed. When the muezzin from the minaret sings the glory of Allah and the faithful gather in the mosque for prayer, come. The sheikh's chair, decorated with carvings and mother-of-pearl, I bow to you. Rebuke the faithful! Your place is in the mosque.
“I want to see the caliph!”
- My child! The state is a mighty tree, the roots of which are deeply rooted in the earth. The people are the leaves that cover the tree, and the padishah is the flower that blooms on this tree. And the roots, and the tree, and the leaves - all in order for this flower to bloom magnificently. And fragrant, and decorated the tree. This is how Allah created it! That is what Allah wants! Your words, the words of Rebuke, are truly living water. May every drop of this water be blessed! But where did you hear, child, that the flower itself should be watered? Water the roots. Water the roots so that the flower blooms more magnificently. Water the roots, my child. Get out of here in peace, your place is in the mosque. Among the simple believers. Rebuke there!
And with tears of anger in her eyes, Truth left the gentle and gentle mufti.
And Harun al-Rashid asked that day:
“This morning, at the entrance to my palace, you were talking to someone, Grand Mufti, and you spoke meekly and kindly, as always, but for some reason there was an alarm in the palace at that time?” Why?
The mufti kissed the ground at the feet of the padishah and replied:
- Everyone was worried, and I spoke meekly and kindly, because it was crazy. She came in a sackcloth and wanted you to wear sackcloth too. It's funny to even think! Is it worth it to be the ruler of Baghdad and Damascus, Beirut and Belbek, to walk in a sackcloth! It would mean being ungrateful to Allah for his gifts. Such thoughts can only come insane.
“You are right,” said the caliph, “if this woman is insane, she must be treated with pity, but made so that she cannot harm anyone.”
- Your words, padishah, serve as praise for us, your servants. That's what we did with the woman! Giaffar said.
And Harun-al-Rashid looked with gratitude at the sky that sent him such servants:
- Allah Akbar!
Allah Akbar! By creating woman, you have created cunning.
It occurred to the truth to enter the palace. To the palace of Haroun al-Rashid himself.
Truth ordered to get colorful shawls from India, transparent silk from Broussa, gold-woven fabrics from Smyrna. From the bottom of the sea, she got herself yellow ambers. She has adorned herself with the feathers of birds so small that they look like golden flies and are afraid of spiders. She adorned herself with diamonds that looked like large tears, rubies like drops of blood, pink pearls that seem to be kissed on the body, sapphires like pieces of the sky.
And, telling miracles about all these wonderful things, cheerful, joyful, with burning eyes, surrounded by an innumerable crowd that listened to her with greed, delight, with bated breath, she approached the palace.
- I'm a fairy tale. I am a fairy tale, colorful like a Persian carpet, like spring meadows, like an Indian shawl. Listen, listen to how my wrists and bracelets on my arms and legs ring. They ring in the same way as golden bells ring on the porcelain towers of the Chinese Bogdykhan. I will tell you about it. Look at these diamonds, they look like tears that a beautiful princess shed when her beloved went to the ends of the world for fame and gifts for her. I will tell you about the most beautiful princess in the world. I will tell you about a lover who left the same kiss marks on the chest of his sweetheart as this pink pearl. And her eyes at that time became dull with passion, large and black, like night or this black pearl. I'll talk about their caresses. About their caresses that night, when the sky was blue-blue, like this sapphire, and the stars shone like this diamond lace. I want to see the padishah, may Allah send him as many decades of life as there are letters in his name, and double their number and double again, because there is no end and limit to the generosity of Allah. I want to see the padishah so I can tell him about the forests of palm trees curled with vines, where these birds fly like golden flies, about the lions of the Abyssinian Negus, about the elephants of the Raja of Jaipur, about the beauty of the Taj Magal, about the pearls of the ruler of Nepal. I am a fairy tale, I am a colorful fairy tale.
And having heard her stories, the guard forgot to report her to the viziers. But the Tale was already seen from the windows of the palace.
- There's a fairy tale! There's a colorful tale!
And Giaffar, the Grand Vizier, said, stroking his beard and smiling:
- Does she want to see the padishah? Let her go! Should we be afraid of inventions? The one who makes knives is not afraid of knives.
And Harun al-Rashid himself, hearing a cheerful noise, asked:
– What is there? In front of the palace and in the palace? What's the talk? What's that noise?
- It's a fairy tale! Fairy tale dressed up in miracles! Everyone in Baghdad is now listening to it, everyone in Baghdad, from young to old, and they cannot hear enough. She came to you, lord!
- May Allah have one master! And I want to hear what each of my subjects hears. Let her go!
And all the carved, and ivory, and mother-of-pearl doors opened before the Tale.
And among the bows of the courtiers and the prostrate of the fallen slaves, the Tale passed to the caliph Harun al-Rashid. He greeted her with an affectionate smile. And the Truth in the form of a fairy tale appeared before the caliph.
He said to her with a gentle smile:
“Speak, my child, I am listening to you.
Allah Akbar! You created Truth. It occurred to the truth to enter the palace. To the palace of Haroun al-Rashid himself. Truth will always get its way.
Kizmet!
Behind the high mountains, behind the dense forest lived Queen Truth.
The whole world was full of stories about her.
No one saw her, but everyone loved her. Prophets spoke about her, poets sang about her. At the thought of her, the blood caught fire in the veins. She dreamed in a dream.
One she appeared in dreams in the form of a girl with golden hair, affectionate, kind and gentle. Others dreamed of a black-haired beauty, passionate and formidable. It depended on the songs of the poets.
Some sang:
- Have you seen how on a sunny day, like a sea, a ripe field walks in golden waves? Such is the hair of the Queen of Truth. They pour like molten gold over her bare shoulders and back and touch her legs. Like cornflowers in ripe wheat, her eyes burn. Get up on a dark night and wait for the first cloud to bloom in the east, the harbinger of morning. You will see the color of her cheeks. Like an eternal flower, the smile on her coral lips blooms and does not fade. Everyone always smiles at the Truth that lives there, behind the high mountains, behind the dense forest.
Others sang:
- Like a dark night, the waves of her fragrant hair are black. Eyes flash like lightning. Pale beautiful face. Only she will smile at the chosen one, a black-eyed, black-haired, formidable beauty who lives there, behind a dense forest, behind high mountains.
And the young knight Khazir decided to see the queen of Truth.
There, behind the steep mountains, there, behind the thicket of impenetrable forest, - all the songs were sung, - there is a palace of azure sky, with columns of clouds. Happy is the brave, who is not afraid of the high mountains, who will pass through the dense forest. He is happy when he reaches the azure palace, tired, exhausted, and falls on the steps and sings an invocative song. A naked beauty will come out to him. Allah has only seen such beauty once! The young man's heart will be filled with delight and happiness. Wonderful thoughts will boil in his head, wonderful words on his lips. The forest will part before him, the mountains will bend their peaks and level with the ground on his way. He will return to the world and tell about the beauty of the Queen of Truth. And, listening to his inspired story about her beauty, everyone, how many people there are in the world, will love the Truth. Her one. She alone will be the queen of the earth, and the golden age will come in her kingdom. Happy, happy is he who sees her!
Khazir decided to go and see the Truth.
He saddled an Arabian horse, white as milk. Tightly pulled together with a patterned belt, hung around himself with grandfather's weapons with a gold notch.
And, bowing to his comrades, women and old knights, who had gathered to admire the young man, he said:
- Wish me a good journey! I am going to see Queen Truth and look into her eyes. I'll come back and tell you about her beauty.
He said, gave spurs to his horse and galloped. The horse rushed through the mountains like a whirlwind, spun along the paths along which even a goat would have difficulty jumping, spreading itself through the air, flew over the abyss.
And a week later, on a tired and exhausted horse, the knight Khazir rode up to the edge of a dense forest.
There were cells at the edge, and among them golden bees buzzed in the bee-house.
Here the wise men lived, having retired from the earth, and thought about heavenly things. They were called: The First Guardians of Truth.
Hearing the clatter of horses, they left the cells and joyfully greeted the young man hung with weapons. The oldest and most respected of them said:
“Bless every visit of a young man to the sages! Heaven blessed you when you saddled your horse!
Khazir jumped off the saddle, knelt before the wise old man and answered:
Thoughts are gray hairs of the mind. I salute the grays of your hair and your mind.
The old man liked the courteous answer and said:
- The sky has already blessed your intention: you have safely arrived to us through the mountains. Did you rule these goat paths? The archangel led your horse by the bridle. The angels supported your horse with their wings when, sprawling in the air, like a white eagle, it flew over bottomless abysses. What good intention brought you here?
Khazir replied:
“I am going to see Queen Truth. The whole world is full of songs about her. Some sing that her hair is bright as the gold of wheat, others that it is black as night. But everyone agrees on one thing: that the queen is beautiful. I want to see her, so that later I can tell people about her beauty. May everyone, how many people in the world, fall in love with her.
- Good intention! Good intention! praised the sage. "And you couldn't have done better than coming to us for it." Leave your horse, enter this cell, and we will tell you everything about the beauty of the Queen of Truth. Your horse will rest for now, and when you return to the world, you will be able to tell people everything about the beauty of the queen.
– Did you see the Truth? exclaimed the young man, looking enviously at the old man.
The wise old man smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
- We live on the edge of the forest, and the Truth lives over there, behind the dense thicket. The road there is difficult, dangerous, almost impossible. And why should we, the wise, make this road and undertake vain labors? Why should we go to see the Truth when we already know what it is? We are wise, we know. Come, and I will tell you all the details about the queen!
But Khazir bowed and put his foot in the stirrup:
Thank you, wise old man! But I myself want to see the Truth. With my own eyes!
He was already on horseback.
The sage even shook with indignation.
- Don `t move! he shouted. - How? What? Do you not believe in wisdom? Do you not believe in knowledge? Do you dare to think that we can be wrong? You dare not trust us wise men! Boy, puppy, sucker!
But Khazir waved his silk whip.
- Get out of my way! Otherwise, I will insult you with a whip that I have not even insulted a horse with!
The wise men shied away, and Khazir rushed off on a rested horse.
In pursuit of him, parting words of the sages were heard:
"Damn you, you bastard!" May heaven punish you for your insolence! Remember, boy, at the hour of death: whoever offends one wise man offends the whole world! To break your neck, you bastard!
Khazir raced on his horse. The forest grew thicker and taller. The curly bushes have turned into oak forests. A day later, in a shady, cool oak forest, Khazir drove to the temple.
It was a magnificent mosque, such as seldom seen by any mortal. Dervishes lived in it, who humbly called themselves: Dogs of Truth. And who were called by others: Faithful guardians.
When the silent oak forest woke up from the trampling of a horse, dervishes came out to meet the knight, with the supreme mullah at their head.
- May everyone who comes to the temple of Allah be blessed, - said the mullah, - the one who comes in youth is blessed for life!
- Blessed! the dervishes confirmed in chorus.
Khazir deftly jumped off his horse, bowed deeply to the mullah and the dervishes.
- Pray for the traveler! - he said.
Where are you from and where are you going? the mullah asked.
– I am going in order to return to the world and tell people about the beauty of the Truth.
And Khazir told the mullah and the dervishes about his meeting with the sages.
The dervishes laughed when he told how he was supposed to threaten the wise men with a whip, and the supreme mullah said:
“Not otherwise than Allah Himself inspired you with the idea of picking up the whip!” You did well to come to us. What could the wise men tell you about Truth? What they have reached with their mind! Fiction! And we have all the information about the Queen of Truth, received directly from heaven. We will tell you everything we know, and you will have the most accurate information. We will tell you everything that is said about Queen Truth in our holy books.
Khazir bowed and said:
“Thank you, father. But I did not go to listen to other people's stories or read what is written in sacred books. I could do this at home too. It wasn't worth the trouble for yourself or the horse.
Mulla frowned slightly and said:
- Oh well! Don't be stubborn, my boy! After all, I've known you for a long time. I knew you when I was still in the world, when you were very young, and I often held you on my lap. After all, I knew your father Hafiz, and I also knew your grandfather Ammelek very well. A nice man was your grandfather Ammelek. He also thought about Queen Truth. He had the Koran in his house. But he did not even reveal the Koran, he was content with what the dervishes told him about the Truth. He knew that the Koran must have written the same thing - well, that's enough. Why else read a book! Your father Hafiz was also very good man but this one was smarter. As soon as he thinks about the Truth, he will take the Koran and read it. Read and calm down. Well, you've gone even further. Look what you are. You don't have enough books. He came to ask us. Well done, kudos, kudos! Come on, I'm ready to tell you everything I know. Ready!
Khazir smiled.
Mulla sighed.
- Who knows! Who knows! Everything can be! Man is not a tree. You look at the shoot - you don’t know what will grow: oak, pine or ash.
Khazir was already on his horse.
- Well, that's it! - he said. Why leave to your son what I can do myself?
And he touched the horse. Mulla grabbed him by the reins.
"Stop, wicked one!" How dare you, after everything I've said, continue on your way? Ah, the wrong dog! So you dare, then, not to believe either us or the Koran!
But Khazir gave spurs to his horse. The horse soared, and the mullah flew off to the side. With one jump, Khazir was already in the thicket, and after him the curses of the mullah, the cries and howls of the dervishes rushed.
"Damn you wicked one!" Damn you vile offender! Who did you offend by insulting us? Let the red-hot nails dig into your horse's hooves with every step! You are on your way to death!
- Let your belly burst! Let your insides crawl out like reptiles, like snakes! howled the dervishes, rolling on the ground.
Khazir continued on his way. And the path became more and more difficult. The forest is more and more dense, and the thicket is more and more impassable. We had to make our way at a pace, and even then with great difficulty.
Suddenly there was a cry:
- Stop!
And, looking ahead, Khazir saw a warrior who stood with a drawn bow, ready to release a trembling arrow from a tight bowstring. Khazir stopped the horse.
- Who it? Where are you going? Where? And why are you on your way? the warrior asked.
– What kind of person are you? Khazir asked him in turn. "And by what right do you ask?" And for what need?
- And I ask by such a right and for such a need, - the warrior answered, - that I am a warrior of the great padishah. And I was assigned with my comrades and with the chiefs in order to guard the sacred forest. Understood? You are at the outpost, which is called the "outpost of Truth", because it was built to protect the Queen of Truth!
Then Khazir told the warrior where and why he was going. Hearing that the knight was on his way to the azure Palace of Truth, the warrior called his comrades and leaders.
“Do you want to know what the Truth really is?” - said the chief leader, admiring the expensive weapons, the glorious horse and the dashing landing of Khazir. “Good intention, young knight!” Good intention! Get off your horse, let's go, I'll tell you everything. Everything is written in the laws of the great padishah, what the Truth should be, and I will gladly read it to you. You can then come back and tell.
- Thank you! Khazir replied. “But I went to see her with my own eyes.
- Ege! - said the leader. - Yes, we, brother, are not wise men to you, not mullahs and not dervishes! We don't know how to talk much. Get off your horse, quickly, without talking!
And the leader took up the saber. The warriors also lowered their spears. The horse pricked up its ears in fright, snored and backed away.
But Khazir plunged his spurs into his sides, bent down in his bow and, whistling his crooked saber over his head, shouted:
- Get out of the way, to whom life is still sweet!
Behind him, only screams and howls were heard.
Khazir was already flying through the dense thicket.
And the tops of the trees closed tighter and tighter overhead. Soon it became so dark that night reigned in the forest during the day. Thorny bushes blocked the road with a dense wall.
The exhausted and exhausted noble horse patiently endured the blows of the whip and finally fell. Khazir went on foot to make his way through the forest. The thorny bush tore and tore at his clothes. In the midst of the darkness of the dense forest, he heard the roar and roar of waterfalls, swam across stormy rivers and was exhausted in the fight against forest streams, cold as ice, mad as animals.
Not knowing when the day ended, when the night began, he wandered, and falling asleep on the wet and cold earth, tormented and bloody, he heard the howl of jackals, hyenas and the roar of tigers all around in the forest thicket.
So for a week he wandered through the forest and suddenly staggered: it seemed to him that lightning had blinded him.
Straight out of the dark, impenetrable thicket, he stepped out into a clearing bathed in dazzling sunlight.
Behind the black wall stood a dense forest, and in the middle of a clearing covered with flowers, stood a palace, as if made of azure sky. The steps leading up to it sparkled, as snow sparkles on the tops of mountains. Sunlight wrapped around the azure and, like a cobweb, dressed it with thin golden lines of marvelous verses from the Koran.
The dress hung in tatters on Khazir. Only the weapon with the gold notch was intact. Half-naked, powerful, with a bronze body, hung with weapons, he was even more beautiful.
Khazir, staggering, reached the snow-white steps and, as was sung in the songs, exhausted and exhausted, fell to the ground.
But the dew that covered the fragrant flowers like diamonds refreshed him.
He got up, again full of strength, he no longer felt pain from abrasions and wounds, he did not feel fatigue in either his arms or legs. Khazir sang:
- I came to you through a dense forest, through a dense thicket, through high mountains, through wide rivers. And in the impenetrable darkness of the dense forest, it was as bright as day for me. The intertwined tops of the trees seemed to me a gentle sky, and the stars burned for me in their branches. The roar of waterfalls seemed to me the murmur of streams, and the howl of jackals sounded like a song in my ears. In the curses of enemies, I heard the kind voices of friends, and the sharp bushes seemed to me soft, tender fluff. After all, I was thinking about you! I went to you! Come out, come out, queen of the dreams of my soul!
And, hearing the quiet sound of slow steps, Khazir even closed his eyes: he was afraid that he would go blind from the sight of a wonderful beauty.
He stood with a beating heart, and when he plucked up courage and opened his eyes, there was a naked old woman in front of him. Her skin, brown and wrinkled, hung in folds. Gray hair fell into plaits. Eyes watered. Hunched, she could hardly hold herself, leaning on a stick. Khazir recoiled in disgust.
- I am Truth! - she said.
And since the dumbfounded Khazir could not move his tongue, she sadly smiled with her toothless mouth and said:
- And you thought to find a beauty? Yes, I was! On the first day of the creation of the world. Allah Himself has only once seen such beauty! But, after all, since then centuries of centuries have rushed after centuries. I am as old as the world, I suffered a lot, and this does not make you more beautiful, my knight! Not done!
Khazir felt that he was losing his mind.
- Oh, these songs are about a golden-haired, black-haired beauty! he moaned. What will I say now when I get back? Everyone knows that I left to see the beauty! Everyone knows Khazir - Khazir will not return alive without fulfilling his word! They will ask me, they will ask: “What kind of curls does she have - golden, like ripe wheat, or dark, like night? Like cornflowers or like lightning her eyes burn? And I! I will answer: "Her White hair, like matted clods of wool, her red eyes watery "...
- Yes Yes Yes! Truth interrupted him. You will say all this! You will say that brown skin hangs in folds on twisted bones, that a black, toothless mouth has sunk deep! And all will turn away in disgust from this ugly Truth. No one will ever love me again! Dream of a wonderful beauty! No one's veins will burn at the thought of me. The whole world, the whole world will turn its back on me.
Khazir stood in front of her, with a crazy look, clutching his head:
- What can I say? What can I say?
Truth fell on her knees before him and, stretching out her hands to him, said in an imploring voice:
Truth and lie
Persian legend
One day, on the road near a big city, a Liar and a Truthful man met.
- Hello, Liar! Liar said.
- Hello, Liar! Truthful answered.
- What are you arguing about? - offended Liar.
- I'm not arguing. Here you are lying.
- That's my business. I always lie.
“And I always tell the truth.
- In vain!
The liar laughed.
- Great thing to tell the truth! You see, there is a tree. You will say: "there is a tree." That's what every fool would say. Simple! In order to lie, one must invent something, but in order to invent, one must nevertheless turn one's brains around, and in order to turn them one must have them. If a person lies, then the mind discovers. And he speaks the truth, so he's a fool. Can't think of anything.
- You're all lying! Truthful said. “There is nothing higher than the truth. Truth makes life beautiful!
- Oh, is it? Liar laughed again. - If you want to go to the city, we'll try.
- Let's go to!
- Who more people make happy: you with your truth, or I with my lie.
- Let's go. Let's go.
And they went to the big city.
It was noon, so it was hot. It was hot, and therefore there was not a soul on the streets. Only the dog ran across the road.
The Liar and the Truthful went into a coffee shop.
Hello, good people! - the people who sat like sleepy flies in the coffee shop and rested under a canopy greeted them. - Hot and boring. And you are road people. Tell us, did you meet anything interesting along the way?
“I didn’t see anything or anyone, good people! - Answered the Truthful. - In such a heat, everyone is hiding at home and in coffee shops. In the whole city, only a dog ran across the road.
“And here I am,” said the Liar, “just now I met a tiger on the street. The tiger crossed my path.
Everyone suddenly came to life. Like flowers exhausted by the heat, if they are sprinkled with water.
- How? Where? What tiger?
- What are tigers? Liar answered. - Big, striped, bared his fangs - here! Claws released - here! He beats himself on the sides with his tail - apparently angry! I shook as he came out from around the corner. I thought I would die on the spot. Yes, thank God! He didn't notice me. Otherwise I wouldn't talk to you!
There is a tiger in the city!
One of the visitors jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs:
- Hey, master! Make me some more coffee! Fresh! Until late at night I will sit in a coffee shop! Let the wife scream at home at least until the veins on the neck burst! Here's another! Like I'll go home when a tiger walks the streets!
“And I will go to the rich Hassan,” said another. - Although he is a relative of mine, he is not very hospitable, one cannot say. Today, however, as soon as I start talking about the tiger in our city, he becomes generous, treats me with lamb and pilaf. Would like to tell you more. Let's eat for tiger health!
- And I'll run to the Wali himself! - said the third. - He sits with his wives, may Allah add years to him, and beauty to them! And nothing, tea, knows what's going on in the city! We must tell him, let him change his anger to mercy! Vali has been threatening me for a long time: “I will put you in jail!” Says I'm a thief. And now he will forgive him, and even reward him with money - that the first one made such an important report to him!
By lunchtime, the whole city was talking about the tiger roaming the streets.
Hundreds of people saw him personally:
- How not to see? As I see you now, I saw you. Only, it must be, he was full, did not touch.
And by evening, the victim of the tiger was discovered.
It so happened that on that very day the servants of the Wali caught a thief. The thief began to defend himself and even hit one servant. Then the servants of the Wali threw down the thief and were so zealous that the thief went to perform the evening prayer before the throne of Allah.
The servants were afraid of their zeal. But only for one moment. They ran to the valley, threw themselves at their feet and reported:
- Mighty Wali! Misfortune! A tiger appeared in the city and ate one thief to death!
– I know that the tiger has appeared. Another thief told me about this! Wali replied. - And what the thief ate, the trouble is small! So it was to be expected! Since the tiger has appeared, he must eat someone. Light is wisely arranged! It's good that it's a thief!
So since then, the inhabitants, seeing the servants of the Wali, crossed to the other side.
Ever since the tiger appeared in the city, the servants of the Wali have begun to fight more freely.
Nearly all of the residents were locked up.
And if someone came to tell the news about the tiger, he was met in every house with honor, treated to the best they could:
- Fearless! Tiger in the city! And you walk the streets!
A poor man, a young man Kazim, appeared to the rich Hassan, leading Hassan's daughter, the beautiful and rich bride Rohe, by the hand. Seeing them together, Gassan shook all over with anger:
“Or are there no more stakes in the world?” How dare you, a poor scoundrel, contrary to all laws, rules and decorum, dishonor my daughter, the daughter of the first rich man: walk along the street with her?
“Thank the prophet,” replied Kazim with a deep bow, “that at least somehow your daughter came to you!” Otherwise, you would only see her in your dreams. Your daughter was almost eaten by a tiger!
- How so? Hassan shook with fright.
- I was just passing by the fountain, where our women usually take water, - said Kazim, - and I saw Rohe's daughter pus. Although her face was covered, who does not recognize the chamois by their gait and the slenderness of a palm tree? If a person, having traveled all over the world, sees the most beautiful eyes, he can safely say: “This is Rohe, the daughter of Gassan.” He won't be wrong. She was walking with a pitcher of water. Suddenly, a tiger jumped out from around the corner. Terrible, huge, striped, bared his fangs - that's it! claws released - here! He beats himself on the sides with his tail, which means he is angry.
- Yes Yes Yes! So you are telling the truth! Gassan whispered. “Everyone who has seen a tiger describes it this way.
- What did Rohe experience, what did she feel - ask her yourself. And I felt one thing: "Let me die, but not Rohe." What will the earth be like without her? Now the earth is proud before the sky - many stars are burning in the sky, but Rohe's eyes are burning on the earth. I rushed between the tiger and Rohe and offered my chest to the beast: “Tear!” A dagger flashed in my hand. It must be that Allah had mercy on me and spared my life for something very good. The sparkle of the dagger, or something, the tiger was frightened, but only lashed itself on the striped sides, jumped so that it jumped over the house, and disappeared. And I'm sorry! - I came to you with Rohe.
Hassan clutched his head.
What am I, you old fool! Don't be angry with me, dear Kazim, just as you don't get angry with a madman! I am sitting, an old donkey, and a kind of dear, honored guest is standing in front of me! Sit down, Kazim! What to feed you? What to feed? And how welcome, let me, a brave man, serve you!
And when Kazim, after countless bows, refusals and begging, sat down, Gassan asked Rohe:
- Are you very scared, my goat?
“And now my heart is still fluttering like a shot bird!” Rohe answered.
- How can I reward you? Hassan exclaimed, turning back to Kazim. - You, the most valiant, brave, best young man in the world! What treasures? Demand what you want from me! Allah is a witness!
- Allah is among us! He is a witness! Kazim said reverently.
- Allah is the witness of my oath! Gassan confirmed.
“You are rich, Hassan!” Kazim said. You have many treasures. But you are richer than all the people in the world because you have Rohe. I want, Hassan, to be as rich as you! Listen, Hassan! You gave Rohe life, and therefore you love her. Today I gave Rohe life, and therefore I have the right to love her too. Let's both love her.
“I don’t know, really, how Rohe ...” Gassan was confused.
Rohe bowed deeply and said:
Allah is the witness of your oaths. Do you really think that a daughter will shame her own father before Allah and make him a perjurer!
And Rohe bowed again with humility.
“Moreover,” Kazim continued, “grief binds the tongue in a knot, joy unties it, especially since Rohe and I have been in love with each other for a long time. I didn't dare to ask you for it. I am a beggar, you are a rich man! And every day we gathered at the fountain to mourn our bitter share. That is why I found myself today near the fountain when Rohe came.
Hassan was clouded:
This is not good, children!
“And if we didn’t meet at the fountain,” Kazim answered, “the tiger would have eaten your daughter!”
Gassup sighed.
May the will of Allah be in everything and always. We don't go, he leads us!
And he blessed Rohe and Kazim.
And everyone in the city praised the courage of Kazim, who managed to get himself such a rich and beautiful wife.
They praised it so much that even the Wali himself envied:
“I need to get something from this tiger!”
And he sent a letter to Tehran with a messenger.
“Woe and joy are replaced, like nights and days! – Vali wrote to Tehran. – By the will of Allah, the dark night hanging over our glorious city was replaced by a sunny day. Our glorious city was attacked by a fierce tiger, huge, striped, with claws and teeth so scary to look at. He jumped through the houses and ate people. Every day my faithful servants reported to me that the tiger had eaten a man. And sometimes he ate two, and three, it happened - and four a day. The horror attacked the city, but not me. I decided in my heart: “It is better that I die, but I will save the city from danger.” And one went on a tiger hunt. We met with him in a back alley where no one was. The tiger hit himself with his tail on the sides, to make him even more furious, and rushed at me. But since since childhood I have not been engaged in anything other than noble occupations, I know how to wield a weapon no worse than a tiger with a tail. I hit the tiger between the eyes with the grandfather's curved saber and cut its terrible head in two. Through which the city was saved by me from a terrible danger. Which I am about to announce. The tiger's skin is currently being dressed, and when it is dressed, I will send it to Tehran. Now I don’t send the unfinished one out of fear that the tiger’s skin won’t turn sour on the road from the heat. ”
- You look! Vali said to the clerk. - Be careful when you start copying! And then you will thump instead of “when it will be dressed” - “when it will be bought!”
From Tehran, the wali sent praise and a golden robe. And the whole city was glad that the brave wali was so generously rewarded.
There was only talk about the tiger, the hunt, and the reward. Tired of all this Truthful man. He began to stop everyone at all intersections:
- Well, what are you lying about? What are you lying? There has never been a tiger! Invented him Liar! And you are a coward, boast, rejoice! We walked with him, and we never came across any tiger. A dog was running, and even then not mad.
And a conversation went through the city:
- A true man has been found! Says there was no tiger!
This rumor reached the Vali. Vali ordered to call the Truthful Man to him, stamped his feet on him, shouted:
How dare you spread false news in the city!
But the Truthful Man replied with a bow:
I don't lie, I tell the truth. There was no tiger - I tell the truth: there was not. A dog ran, and I tell the truth: a dog.
– Truth?! Vali chuckled. – What is truth? The truth is what the strong say. When I speak to the Shah, what the Shah says is true. When I speak to you, what I say is true. Do you always want to tell the truth? Buy yourself a slave. Whatever you say to him will always be true. Tell me, do you exist in the world?
- I exist! – with confidence answered Truthful.
- But in my opinion - no. I’ll order you to be put on a stake now, and it will turn out that I told the purest truth: there is no you in the world! Understood?
The truthful stood his ground:
But I will still tell the truth! There was no tiger, the dog ran! How can I not speak when I saw it with my own eyes!
– Eyes?
Vali ordered the servants to bring a golden robe sent from Tehran.
- What is this? Vali asked.
- Golden coat! Truthful answered.
What was he sent for?
- For the tiger.
“Would they send a golden robe for a dog?”
No, they wouldn't.
- Well, then you saw with your own eyes that there was a tiger. There is a bathrobe - so there was a tiger. Go and tell the truth. There was a tiger, because he himself saw the dressing gown for him.
- Yes, it's true...
At this, Vali got angry.
- The truth is that they are silent! he said instructively. If you want to tell the truth, shut up. Get up and remember.
And the Truthful Man went with great disgrace.
That is, in his heart, everyone respected him very much. And Kazim, and Wali, and everyone thought: “But one person in the whole city speaks the truth!”
But everyone shied away from him: who wants to, Assenting to a truthful person, To pass for a liar?!
And no one let him in.
We don't need lies!
The Truthful Man went out of the city in grief. And towards him comes the Liar, fat, ruddy, cheerful.
- What, brother, are they driven from everywhere?
“For the first time in your life, you told the truth!” - Answered the Truthful.
"Now let's count!" Who made more happy: you with your truth or I with my lie. Kazim is happy - he married a rich woman. Vali is happy - he received the robe. Everyone in the city is happy that the tiger didn't eat him. The whole city is happy that he has such a brave Wali. And all through whom? Through me! Who did you make happy?
- Talk with you! Truth waved his hand.
“And you yourself are unhappy. And me, look! They chase you everywhere from the threshold. What can you say? What exists in the world? What everyone knows without you? And I say things that no one knows. Because I make everything up. I'm curious to hear. That's why I'm welcome everywhere. You have one respect. And everything else for me! Reception and food.
- With me, and one respect is enough! Truthful answered.
The liar even jumped for joy:
- For the first time in my life I lied! Is it enough?
- You lied, brother! There is something, after all, and you want it!
Wrong heels
The wise Jiaffar, the caring ruler of the city, noticed that people with pale, waxy faces, large drops of sweat on their foreheads and cloudy eyes were wandering around the streets and bazaars of Cairo, staggering. Despicable opium smokers. There were many, many. This worried the caring ruler of the city. And he summoned to his meeting all the most revered, noble and wealthy people of Cairo.
After treating them to sweet coffee, Turkish delight, dates stuffed with pistachios, rose petal jam, amber honey, wine berries, raisins, almonds and sugar-coated nuts, he stood up, bowed and said:
- Holy mufti, honored mullahs, respected qadi, respected sheikhs and all of you, whom nobility, power or wealth put above people! Only Allah, enduring wisdom, knows what this madness exists for. But all Cairo smokes opium. People are like water, and discontent is like the fog that rises above the water. People are dissatisfied with life here on earth and are looking for another in the dreams that cursed poppy juice brings to them. I called you together to ask your wisdom for advice: what should we do in such trouble?
Everyone was politely silent. Only one person said:
“Make life better for people here in the world!”
But they looked at him like he was a fool.
The mufti himself got up, bowed and said:
The people of Cairo are lazy. There are many thieves among them. They are swindlers, swindlers, deceivers. And if each of them does not sell his own father, it is only because there are no buyers. But they are pious. And this is the most important thing. It is to their piety that one must turn. Only thought is strong against desires. Thought is a fragrant smoke that comes from fiery words. Words burn and burn, thoughts flow from them and cloud the minds of listeners with incense. Allow me, caring and wise ruler of the city, to address the pious inhabitants of Cairo with fiery words about the dangers of smoking opium.
The caring ruler of the city replied:
Allah gave man a language to speak. I allow you to address residents with any words, as long as these words are not against the police. You can say whatever you want about Allah, but nothing about the police. Allah is almighty and he himself will be able to punish the guilty. This is his sacred work. But I won't let the police touch you. In all other respects, the language is free as a bird. And the words are like birdsong.
On the following Friday, in the largest mosque in Cairo, the mufti went up to the dais and said:
- Creations of Allah! You smoke opium because it is one of the joys of life. Give it up, because it's just one of the joys of life. What is life? What does the prophet tell us about her, peace and blessings be upon him? Do not be carried away by the joys of this life, perishable and fleeting, because eternal joys await you there, to which there is no end and no break. Don't get carried away by wealth. There are mountains of diamonds, rubies, turquoise waiting for you. There tents are woven with gold from precious shawls, with fluff, softer than swan's, pillows are stuffed, and they are soft, like mother's knees. Don't get carried away with food and drink. There is food waiting for you that you will eat forever, not knowing satiety. And fresh spring water smells like roses there. Don't go hunting. Wonderful birds, indescribable beauty, as if covered with precious stones, are full of forests there. And from every bush a gazelle will look at you. And you will shoot them with golden arrows without a miss, rushing on horseback, fast and light as the wind. Don't get carried away by women. There will serve you obedient houris, beautiful, forever young, not knowing old age, not knowing worries, except for one thing: to be pleasant to you. Their eyes are full of love, and their words are full of music. Their sighs fill the air with the scent of flowers. When they dance, they are like lilies swaying on their stems. Your opium gives you this only for a moment, but there, there it is forever!
And the better the holy mufti spoke about paradise, the more the desire to get to know this paradise as soon as possible and see it at least for a single moment flared up in the hearts of the listeners.
The more the Mufti preached, the more and more opium smoking spread in Cairo.
Soon there was not a single pious person left who did not smoke.
If a person with a flourishing face and clear eyes met on the street or in the market, the boys grabbed stones:
“Here is the wicked who never goes to the mosque! He has not heard how our holy mufti describes paradise, and does not want to see this paradise even for a moment.
All this alarmed the caring ruler of the city of Jiaffar.
He summoned the most distinguished and noblest inhabitants of the city to a meeting, treated them to coffee and sweets, as required by him and their dignity, bowed and said:
- Piety is piety, but to inspire people with good thoughts with the help of words seems to me contrary to nature. A person takes in and vomits the food taken from different parts of his body. The same should be true of spiritual food. The head is the stomach where thoughts are digested, and from the mouth they fly out in the form of words. Since thoughts come out from this end of the body, it means that they must enter from the other end. From this I conclude that good thoughts should be inspired with sticks on the heels. This is no longer a matter for the mufti, but for the Zapti. This is how I understand my responsibilities.
Everyone was politely silent.
The wise and holy dervish present at the meeting stopped eating sweets and said:
- You're right. But you need to hit the proper heels with sticks!
- I will beat those heels that should be! Giaffar said.
On the same day, the heralds in all the bazaars and crossroads of the streets of Cairo, drumming at the top of their lungs, shouted the order of the caring ruler of the city:
- It is announced to all the good and pious inhabitants of Cairo - may Allah preserve this city for thousands of millennia - that from now on it is forbidden for everyone, men, women and eunuchs, young men, adults, old people, nobles, slaves, rich and poor, to smoke opium, since smoking opium is not only harmful to health, but unpleasant to the authorities. Anyone who is caught smoking opium will immediately, on the spot, immediately, without any talk, receive as many sticks on the heels as he can bear. And even a few more. About what the ruler of the city Jiaffar - may Allah send him as much happiness as he sent wisdom - gave the proper order to all the birds. Let those who have heels think!
Giaffar gathered the Zapti to himself and said to them:
- From now on, as soon as you see a person with a pale face, in sweat and with cloudy eyes, hit him on the heels, like a tambourine. Without any mercy. Go, and may Allah help you in this.
The zaptii looked cheerfully at the caring ruler of the city. The police are always happy to fulfill the will of the authorities.
And they said:
- God send the inhabitants more heels, and the Zapti have enough hands.
For days and even nights, Giaffar, sitting in his house, heard the cries of those who were driven into the heels of good thoughts, and rejoiced:
- Exterminate!
The Zaptias, as he noticed, began to dress better, their lips and cheeks were shiny with mutton fat - apparently they ate a young lamb every day - and many even got themselves rings with turquoise.
But opium smoking did not decrease. The coffeehouses were full of people who saw paradise with their soul eyes, but with their bodily eyes they looked dimly and saw nothing.
Are you hitting those heels? the caring ruler of the city asked the head of the Zapti, remembering the words of the wise and holy dervish.
- Mister! he replied, kissing the ground at his feet. - We act according to your wise order: as soon as we see a person in sweat, with a pale face and with cloudy eyes, we beat him on the heels without any mercy.
Giaffar ordered the donkey to be sent for the wise and holy dervish.
The wise and holy dervish came with great honour. Jiaffar met him barefoot, because the head of the wise man is the house of Allah, and one should approach the dwelling of Allah barefoot.
He bowed to the ground to the dervish and told his grief.
Ask your wisdom for advice and give it to my simplicity.
The dervish came to the house of the caring ruler of the city, sat down on a place of honor and said:
- My wisdom is silent now, because the stomach speaks. Wisdom is smart and knows that you can't outshout your stomach. He has such a loud voice that when he screams, all thoughts fly out of his head, like frightened birds from a bush. I tried to tame him, but this rebel can be dealt with only by fulfilling all his requirements. This rebel listens to the arguments of reason less than any other. On the way to you, I met a lamb, but with such a fat tail, which it would be nice to see in a full-grown ram. The thought came into my stomach: "It would be nice to see it fried." But reason answered: "We are going to the caring Giaffar, and there a lamb stuffed with nuts is waiting for us." The stomach was silent until we met a chicken, a chicken so fat that she could hardly walk from laziness. “It would be nice to stuff this chicken with pistachios!” - thought the stomach, but the mind answered him: "Caring Giaffar, probably already did it." At the sight of a pomegranate tree, the stomach began to scream: “Where are we going and what are we looking for when happiness is around us? In the heat, what kind of company can be more pleasant than the company of a ripe pomegranate in the shade of a tree? The mind answered reasonably: “At the caring Giaffar, not only ripe pomegranates are waiting for us, but also orange peels boiled in honey, and all sorts of sherbet that a caring person can think of.” So I rode and all the way I thought about kebabs, pilaf, kidneys, chickens fried on a spit with saffron, and calmed my stomach with the fact that we would probably find all this at your place. And in abundance. Now, when I see nothing but you, my stomach screams so loudly that my wisdom is silent for fear of not being heard even by me.
Giaffar was surprised:
- Do the wise and saints really think about such things as kebabs and pilaf?
The dervish laughed.
“Do you really think tasty things are made for fools?” Saints should live for their own pleasure, so that everyone wants to become a saint. And if the saints live badly, and only sinners live well, every person would prefer to be a sinner. If saints starve to death, only a fool would want to be a saint. And then the whole earth will be filled with sinners, and the prophet's paradise with only fools.
Hearing such wise and just words, caring Giaffar hurried to prepare a treat for the dervish that would correspond to his wisdom and would be worthy of his holiness.
The wise and holy dervish ate everything with the greatest attention and said:
"Now let's get down to business." Your grief is that you hit the wrong heels.
And fell asleep, as every wise man does after a good meal.
Caring Giaffar thought for three days.
What could the wise words of a holy man mean? Finally, he happily exclaimed:
- I found real heels!
He called to himself all the Zapti of the city and said:
- My friends! You complain that the heels of the residents beat the hands of the police. But this happened because We hit on the wrong heels. Wishing to destroy the trees, We cut off the leaves, but it is necessary to dig up the roots. From now on, beat without mercy not only those who smoke, but also those who sell opium. All owners of coffee houses, taverns and baths. Spare no sticks, Allah has created entire forests of bamboo.
The zaptii looked cheerfully at the caring ruler of the city. The police are always happy with the orders of their superiors. And they said:
- Mister! We regret only one thing. That the inhabitants have only two heels. If there were four, we could prove our diligence twice as strong!
A week later, Giaffar saw with joyful amazement that the Zapti were dressed very well, everyone rode donkeys, and no one walked, even the poorest, married to only one wife, married four.
And opium smoking did not decrease.
Caring Giaffar fell into doubt:
“Is a wise and holy man mistaken?
And he himself went to the dervish. The dervish met him with bows and said:
Your visit is a great honor. I pay for her lunch. Whenever you visit me, instead of calling me to your place, it seems to me that an excellent dinner is being taken away from me.
Giaffar understood and served the holy and wise man a dish of silver coins.
“A fish,” he said, “is only a fish. You can't make eggplant out of it. Eggplants are just eggplants. A lamb is just a lamb. And money is fish, eggplant, and lamb. Everything can be done with money. Can't these coins replace your lunch?
The wise and holy dervish looked at the dish of silver coins, stroked his beard and said:
- A dish of silver coins is like pilaf, which you can eat as much as you like. But the caring owner adds saffron to the pilaf!
Giaffar understood and sprinkled gold coins on top of the silver coins.
Then the dervish took the dish, with honors brought the caring ruler of the city into his house, listened attentively to him and said:
- I'll tell you, Giaffar! Your grief is in one thing: you are hitting the wrong heels! And the opium-smoking in Cairo won't stop until you've chipped off the proper heels!
- But what are these heels?
The wise and holy dervish smiled:
“You have just loosened the soil and sowed the seeds, and you are waiting for the trees to immediately grow and bear fruit for you. No, my friend, we must come more often and water the trees more abundantly. You gave me a good meal, for which I thank you again, and brought me money, for which I look forward to thanking you again. Happy staying, Giaffar. I look forward to your invitations or visits, as you please. You are the master, I will obey you.
Jiaffar bowed to the sage, as one should bow to a saint. But a storm raged in his soul.
“Perhaps,” he thought, “in heaven this saint will be just in place, but on earth he is completely inconvenient. He wants to make a goat out of me that comes into the house to be milked! Don't be like this!"
He ordered all the inhabitants of Cairo to be driven away and said to them:
- Scoundrels! If only you could look at my zaptii! They fight against opium smoking, and see how invisibly Allah helps them. The most unmarried of them became very married in a week. And you? You smoke everything you have on opium. Soon your wives will have to be sold for debt. And you will have to become eunuchs in order to somehow maintain your miserable existence. From now on, all of you will be hit with bamboos on the heels! The whole city is to blame, the whole city will be punished.
And then he gave the order to the Zaptias:
- Beat everyone, the right and the guilty! The wise and holy dervish says that there are some heels that we cannot find. So that there is no mistake, beat everyone. So we will knock on the right door. Guilty heels will not slip away from us, and everything will stop.
A week later, not only all the Zaptias were beautifully dressed, but also their wives.
And opium smoking did not stop in Cairo. Then the caring ruler of the city fell into despair, ordered to roast, bake, boil, cook for three days, sent a donkey for the wise and holy dervish, met him with a dish filled with only gold coins, treated and treated him for three days, and only on the fourth set to work. . He told his grief.
The wise and holy dervish shook his head.
“Woe is yours, Giaffar, everything remains the same. You're hitting the wrong heel you should.
Giaffar jumped up:
"I'm sorry, but this time I'll even contradict you!" If there is even one guilty heel in Cairo, she has now received as many sticks as she should! And even more.
The dervish answered him calmly:
- Sit down. Standing does not make a person smarter. Let's talk calmly. First, you ordered to hit on the heels of pale people, in sweat and with cloudy eyes. So?
“I plucked leaves from harmful trees.
- Zaptias were pounding on the heels of people who, all sweating from work, pale from fatigue and with eyes clouded with fatigue, were returning home from work. You heard the cries of these people in your house. And they took baksheesh from opium smokers. That is why the Zapti began to dress better. Then you ordered to beat on the heels of those who sell opium, the owners of coffee houses, baths, taverns?
“I wanted to get to the roots.
- The Zapti began to pound on the heels of those owners of coffee houses, taverns and baths who did not trade in opium. "Trade and pay us baksheesh!" That is why everyone began to trade in opium, smoking intensified, and the Zapti became very married. Then you ordered to hit completely on all heels?
- When they want to catch the smallest fish, they throw the most frequent net.
“The Zaptias started taking baksheesh from everyone. “Pay and shout so that the caring ruler of the city hears how we try!” And you don’t pay - with sticks on your heels. That's when not only the Zaptias dressed up, but also their wives.
- What should I do? - the caring ruler of the city clutched his head.
- Don't grab your head. That doesn't make her smarter. Give the order: if they still smoke opium in Cairo, beat the heels of the Zapti with sticks.
Giaffar rose in thought.
Holiness is holiness, and the law is law! - he said. - I allow you to say anything, but not against the police.
And he ordered to give the dervish, despite all his wisdom and holiness, thirty sticks on the heels.
The dervish endured the sticks, wisely and rightly shouted thirty times that he was in pain.
He sat on the donkey, hid the money in his bag, rode off about ten paces, turned around and said:
- The fate of every person is written in the book of fate. Your fate: always hit the wrong heel, which follows.
green bird
Grand Vizier Mugabedzin called his viziers and said:
“The more I look at our management, the more I see our stupidity.
Everyone was dumbfounded. But no one dared to object.
- What are we doing? continued the Grand Vizier. We punish crimes. What could be more stupid than this?
Everyone was amazed, but no one dared to object.
When a garden is weeded out, the bad herbs are weeded out along with the root. We only cut the bad grass when we see it, and this only makes the bad grass grow even thicker. We are dealing with deeds. Where is the root of action? In thoughts. And we must know thoughts in order to prevent evil deeds. Only knowing thoughts, we will know who is a good person, who is bad. From whom what can be expected. Only then will vice be punished and virtue rewarded. In the meantime, we only cut the grass, and the roots remain intact, which is why the grass only grows thicker.
The viziers looked at each other in despair.
- But the thought is hidden in the head! - said one of them, braver. - And the head is such a bone box that when you break it, the thought flies away.
- But the thought is such a fidget that Allah himself created an outlet for it - the mouth! - objected the Grand Vizier. – It cannot be that a person, having an idea, does not express it to someone. We must know the innermost thoughts of people, such that they express only to those closest to them when they are not afraid of being overheard.
- We need to increase the number of spies!
The Grand Vizier only chuckled.
- One person has a fortune, the other works. But here is a man: he has no capital, and does nothing, but eats, as God send to everyone! Everyone will immediately guess: this is a spy. And he starts to worry. We have so many spies, but it's no use. To increase their number means to ruin the treasury, and nothing more!
The viziers were at an impasse.
I'll give you a week! Mugabedzin told them. “Either you come back in a week and tell me how to read other people’s minds, or you can get out!” Remember, it's about your seats! Go!
Six days have passed. The viziers only shrugged when they met each other.
- Invented?
- Better spies could not invent anything! And you?
“There is nothing better than spies in the world!”
There lived at the court of the Grand Vizier a certain Abl-Eddin, a young man, a joker and a mocker. He didn't do anything. That is, nothing good.
Invented various jokes on respectable people. But since his jokes pleased the higher ones, and he joked with the lower ones, Abl-Eddin got away with everything. The viziers turned to him.
“Instead of inventing nonsense, invent something clever!”
Abl Eddin said:
- It will be more difficult.
And he set such a price that the viziers immediately said:
- Yes, this man is not stupid!
They formed up, counted out the money to him, and Abl-Eddin said to them:
- You will be saved. How about, don't you care? Doesn't it matter to a drowning man how they pull him out: by the hair or by the leg.
Abl-Eddin went to the grand vizier and said:
- I can solve the problem you set.
Mugabedzin asked him:
“When you demand peaches from a gardener, you don’t ask him: how will he grow them?” He will put manure under the tree, and this will make sweet peaches. So is the state business. Why do you need to know in advance how I will do it. My work is your fruit.
Mugabedzin asked:
– What do you need for this?
Abl Eddin replied:
- One. Whatever stupidity I make up, you have to agree to it. At least you were taken by the fear that both of you and I would be sent to the lunatics for this.
Mugabedzin objected:
- I, let's say, stay in my place, but they will put you on a stake!
Abl Eddin agreed:
- As you wish. One more condition. Barley is sown in autumn and harvested in summer. You will give me time from the full moon. On this full moon I will sow, on that full moon I will reap.
Mugabedzin said:
- Good. But remember that this is about your head.
Abl-Eddin only laughed.
- A person is put on a stake, and they say that we are talking about the head.
And he submitted the finished paper to the Grand Vizier for signature.
The Grand Vizier only clutched his head when he read it:
- You, I see, terribly want to sit on a stake!
But, true to this promise, he signed the paper. Only the vizier, the administrator of justice, gave the order:
- Sharpen a more reliable stake for this fellow.
The next day, the heralds in all the streets and squares of Tehran proclaimed, with the sound of trumpets and drumming:
“Citizens of Tehran! Have fun!
Our wise ruler, the ruler of rulers, who has the courage of a lion and is bright as the sun, as you know, gave control of all of you to the caring Mugabedzin, may Allah prolong his days without end.
Mugabedzin sim announces. So that the life of every Persian flows in pleasantness and pleasure, let everyone in the house get a parrot. This bird, equally entertaining for both adults and children, is a true decoration of the house. The richest Indian rajas have these birds for solace in their palaces. Let the house of every Persian be decorated like the house of the richest Indian rajah. Little of! Every Persian must remember that the famous “peacock throne” of the ruler of rulers, taken away by his ancestors in a victorious war from the Great Mogul, is decorated with a parrot made of one, whole, unheard-of emerald. So, at the sight of this emerald-colored bird, everyone will involuntarily remember the peacock throne and the ruler of lords sitting on it. Caring Mugabedzin handed over the care of supplying all good Persians with parrots to Abl-Eddin, from whom the Persians can purchase parrots at a fixed price. This order must be fulfilled before the next new moon.
Residents of Tehran! Have fun!
The people of Tehran were amazed. The viziers were arguing among themselves in secret: who had gone mad more? Abl-Eddin, writing such a paper? Or Mugabedzin, who signed it?
Abl-Eddin ordered a huge transport of parrots from India, and as he sold them for twice as much as he bought, he made good money.
Parrots sat on perches in all the houses. The vizier, who governs justice, sharpened the stake and carefully upholstered it with tin. Abl-Eddin walked cheerfully.
But now the period from full moon to full moon has passed. A full, sparkling moon has risen over Tehran. The Grand Vizier called Abl-Eddin to him and said:
- Well, my friend, it's time to get on the stake!
“Look, don’t put me somewhere more honorable!” replied Abl-Eddin. - The harvest is ready, go and reap! Go and read minds!
And with the greatest pomp, riding a white Arabian horse, by the light of torches, accompanied by Abl-Eddin and all the viziers, Mugabedzin set off for Tehran.
– Where would you like to go? asked Abl-Eddin.
- At least in this house! - pointed out the Grand Vizier.
The owner was dumbfounded to see such magnificent guests.
The Grand Vizier affectionately nodded his head to him. And Abl Eddin said:
- Have some fun, kind person! Our caring grand vizier stopped by to find out how you are doing, is it fun, does the green bird give you pleasure?
The owner bowed at his feet and replied:
“Since the wise master ordered us to have a green bird, fun has not left our house. I, my wife, my children, all my friends are overjoyed at the bird! Praise be to the Grand Vizier, who brought joy to our home!
- Wonderful! Wonderful! said Abl-Eddin. Bring and show us your bird.
The owner brought a cage with a parrot and placed it in front of the Grand Vizier. Abl-Eddin took pistachios from his pocket and began to pour them from hand to hand. Seeing pistachios, the parrot stretched, bent sideways, looked with one eye. And suddenly he shouted:
“Fool Grand Vizier! What a fool the Grand Vizier! Here's a fool! Here's a fool!
The Grand Vizier jumped up as if stung:
“Ah, vile bird!
And beside himself with rage, he turned to Abl-Eddin:
– Kol! Fuck this bastard! Figured out how to shame me?!
But Abl-Eddin bowed calmly and said:
- The bird did not invent it from itself! So she often hears it in this house! That's what the owner says when he is sure that no one else is eavesdropping on him! To your face he praises you as wise, but behind your eyes...
And the bird, looking at the pistachios, continued to yell:
“The Grand Vizier is a fool!” Abl Eddin is a thief! Thief Abl-Eddin!
“You hear,” said Abl-Eddin, “the hidden thoughts of the master!”
The grand vizier addressed the host:
- Truth?
He stood pale, as if already dead.
And the parrot continued to cry:
“The Grand Vizier is a fool!”
"Get the damned bird off!" shouted Mugabedzin.
Abl Eddin twisted the parrot's neck.
- And the owner on the count!
And the grand vizier turned to Abl-Eddin:
- Get on my horse! Sit down, they tell you! And I will lead him by the bridle. So that everyone knows how I can execute for bad thoughts and appreciate the wise!
Since then, according to Mugabedzin, he "read in other people's heads better than in his own."
As soon as his suspicion fell on some Persian, he demanded:
- His parrot.
Pistachios were placed in front of the parrot, and the parrot, looking at them with one eye, told everything that was in the soul of the owner. What was heard most often in heart-to-heart conversations. Scolded the Grand Vizier, scolded Abl-Eddin. The vizier, who was in charge of justice, did not have time to hew the stakes. Mugabedzin weeded the garden so much that soon there would be no cabbage left in it.
Then the most famous and the richest people Tehran came to Abl-Eddin, bowed to him and said:
- You invented a bird. You think of her and the cat. What should we do?
Abl Eddin chuckled and said:
It's hard to help fools. But if you come up with something smart in the morning, I'll come up with something for you.
When the next morning Abl-Eddin went into his waiting room, the whole floor was covered with gold pieces, and the merchants stood in the waiting room and bowed.
- It's not stupid! said Abl-Eddin. “I’m surprised you didn’t come up with such a simple idea: strangle your parrots and buy new ones from me. Yes, and teach them to say: “Long live the Grand Vizier! Abl Eddin is the benefactor of the Persian people!” Only and everything.
The Persians, with a sigh, looked at their gold coins and left. Meanwhile envy and malice did their work. Spies - and there were many of them in Tehran - were dismissed by Mugabedzin.
“Why should I feed the spies when the Tehrans themselves feed the spies who are with them!” the Grand Vizier laughed.
The spies were left without a piece of bread and spread bad rumors about Abl Eddin. These rumors reached Mugabedzin.
- All Tehran curses Abl-Eddin, and for him the Grand Vizier. “We ourselves have nothing to eat,” the Tehranians say, “and then feed the birds!”
These rumors fell on good ground.
A statesman is like food. While we are hungry, food smells good. When we eat, it's disgusting to look at. So is the statesman. A statesman who has already done his job is always a burden.
Mugabedzin was already tired of Abl-Eddin:
“Have I not showered too many honors on this upstart? Isn't he too proud? I would have come up with such a simple thing myself. It's a simple matter!
Rumors of murmuring among the people came at the right time. Mugabedzin called Abl-Eddin to him and said:
“You did me a disservice. I thought you'd do something useful. You've only brought harm. You lied to me! Thanks to you, there is only murmuring among the people and discontent is growing! And all because of you! You are a traitor!
Abl-Eddin bowed calmly and said:
“You can execute me, but you won’t want to deny me justice. You can put me on a stake, but first let's ask the people themselves: are they grumbling and dissatisfied? You have the means to know the secret thoughts of the Persians. I gave you this remedy. Turn it against me now.
The next day, Mugabedzin, accompanied by Abl-Eddin, accompanied by all his viziers, rode through the streets of Tehran: "To listen to the voice of the people."
The day was hot and sunny. All the parrots sat on the windows. At the sight of the brilliant procession, the green birds goggled and shouted:
Long live the Grand Vizier! Abl Eddin is the benefactor of the Persian people!
So they went all over the city.
- These are the innermost thoughts of the Persians! That's what they say among themselves at home, when they are sure that no one is listening! said Abl-Eddin. You heard with your own ears!
Mugabedzin was moved to tears.
He dismounted from his horse, embraced Abl Eddin, and said:
“I am guilty before you and before myself. I listened to the slanderers! They will sit on a stake, and you sit on my horse, and I will again lead him by the bridle. Sit down, they tell you!
Since then, Abl-Eddin has not gone out of favor with the Grand Vizier.
He was given the greatest honor during his lifetime. A magnificent marble fountain was arranged in his honor with the inscription:
"Abl-Eddin - the benefactor of the Persian people."
The Grand Vizier Mugabedzin lived and died in a deep conviction that he: "Destroyed the discontent among the Persian people and inspired them with the best thoughts."
And Abl-Eddin, who until the end of his days traded in parrots and made a lot of money on this, wrote in his chronicle, where this whole story comes from: “So sometimes the voices of parrots are mistaken for the voice of the people.”
Without Allah
One day Allah got tired of being Allah. He left his throne and halls, descended to earth and became the most ordinary person. He swam in the river, slept on the grass, picked berries and ate them.
He fell asleep with the larks and woke up when the sun tickled his eyelashes.
The sun rose and set every day. On rainy days it rained. Birds sang, fish splashed in the water. As if nothing had happened! Allah looked around with a smile and thought: “The world is like a pebble from a mountain. I pushed him, he rolls by himself. ”
And Allah wanted to see: “How do people live without me? Birds are stupid. And fish are stupid too. But somehow smart people live without Allah? Better or worse?
I thought, left the fields, meadows and groves and went to Baghdad.
“Is the city really standing still?” Allah thought.
And the city stood in its place. Donkeys scream, camels scream, and people scream.
Donkeys work, camels work, and people work. Everything is as it was before!
“But no one remembers my name!” Allah thought.
He wanted to know what people were talking about.
Allah went to the market. He enters the bazaar and sees: a merchant is selling a horse to a young guy.
“By Allah,” shouts the merchant, “the horse is very young!” Three years in total, as they took away from their mother. Ah, what a horse! You sit on it, you will be a knight. I swear by Allah that I am a hero! And without vices a horse! Here is Allah, not a single vice! Not the smallest!
And the guy looks at the horse:
– Oh, right?
The merchant even threw up his hands and grabbed his turban:
- Oh, how stupid! Oh what a stupid person! I have never seen such stupid people! How is it not so if I swear to you by Allah? Why do you think I don't feel sorry for my soul!
The guy took the horse and paid with pure gold.
Allah let them finish the job and approached the merchant.
How is that, good man? You swear by Allah, but Allah is no more!
The merchant at that time was hiding gold in a purse. He shook his purse, listened to the ringing and grinned.
- And even if it was? But is it, one wonders, otherwise he would have bought a horse from me? After all, the horse is old, and his hoof is cracked!
And towards him the porter Hussein. Such a sack carries twice as much as he does. And behind the porter Hussein is the merchant Ibrahim. Hussein's legs give way under the sack. Sweat pours down. The eyes popped out. And Ibrahim follows and says:
- You are not afraid of Allah, Hussein! You took the sack to carry, but you carry it quietly! That way we can't bear even three sacks a day. Not good, Hussein! Not good! You should at least think about the soul! After all, Allah sees everything, how lazy you work! Allah will punish you, Hussein.
Allah took Ibrahim by the hand and took him aside.
Why are you remembering Allah at every step? After all, there is no Allah!
Ibrahim scratched his neck.
- I heard about it! But what are you going to do? How else can Hussein be forced to carry the coolies as quickly as possible? Coolies are heavy. To add money to him for this is a loss. To beat him off - so Hussein is healthier than me, he will still beat him off. Take him to Vali - so Hussein will run away on the way. And Allah is stronger than all, and you can’t run away from Allah, so I scare him with Allah!
And the day turned to evening. Long shadows fled from the houses, the heavens blazed with fire, and from the minaret came the muezzin's long, drawn-out song:
- La ill ago ill alla...
Allah stopped near the mosque, bowed to the mullah and said:
Why are you gathering people to the mosque? After all, Allah is no more!
Mulla even jumped up in fright.
- Quiet you! Shut up! Scream, they will hear. There is nothing to say, then honor will be good to me! Who will come to me if they find out that there is no Allah!
Allah furrowed his brows and rose to the heavens like a pillar of fire before the eyes of the numb mullah who crashed to the ground.
Allah returned to his halls and sat on his throne. And not with a smile, as before, he looked at the ground that was at his feet.
When the very first soul of the believer appeared before Allah, timid and trembling, Allah looked at her with a searching eye and asked:
- Well, what good have you done, man, in life?
“Your name never left my lips!” the soul replied.
- Whatever I do, whatever I do, everything is in the name of Allah.
- And I also inspired others to remember Allah! the soul replied. - Not only he remembered! To others, at every step, with whom he only dealt, he reminded everyone about Allah.
- What a zealous one! Allah chuckled. - Well, did you make a lot of money?
The soul trembled.
- That's it! Allah said and turned away.
And Shaitan crawled to the soul, crawled, grabbed her by the legs and dragged her. So Allah is angry with the earth.
judge in heaven
Azrael, the angel of death, flying over the earth, touched the wise qadi Osman with his wing.
The judge is dead and immortal soul presented him before the prophet.
It was at the very entrance to heaven.
From behind the trees, covered with flowers, like pink snow, came the sound of tambourines and the singing of the divine houris, calling for unearthly pleasures.
And from afar, from the dense forests, the sounds of horns, the sonorous clatter of horses and the dashing cliques of hunters rushed. Brave, on snow-white Arabian horses, they rushed after swift-footed chamois, ferocious boars.
- Let me go to heaven! Judge Osman said.
- Good! the prophet replied. “But first you must tell me what you have done to deserve it. This is our law in heaven.
- Law? The judge bowed deeply and put his hand to his forehead and heart in the highest respect. It's good that you have laws and you follow them. This is what I praise in you. The law must be everywhere and must be enforced. It's well set up for you.
“So what have you done to deserve heaven?” asked the great prophet.
“There can be no sin on me!” the judge replied. “All my life I have done nothing but condemn sin. I was the judge there on earth. I judged, and judged very strictly!
– Probably, you yourself shone with some special virtues, if you judged others? Yes, I judged strictly! the prophet asked.
The judge frowned.
- As for the virtues ... I won’t say! I was just like everyone else. But I judged because I got paid for it!
- Not much virtue! the prophet smiled.
- Get paid! I don't know a single vicious person who would refuse it. It turns out like this: you condemned people because they do not have those virtues that you do not have either. And he got paid for it! Those who receive a salary judge those who do not receive a salary. A judge can judge a mere mortal. And a mere mortal cannot judge a judge, even if the judge was clearly to blame. Something clever!
The brow of the judge grew more and more frowned.
- I judged according to the laws! he said dryly. “I knew them all and judged by them.
“Well, did those whom you judged,” the prophet asked curiously, “know the laws?”
- Oh no! – proudly answered the judge. - Where are they! This is not given to everyone!
“So you judged them for not following laws they didn’t even know?! the prophet exclaimed. - Well, what are you? Tried to ensure that everyone knew the laws? Tried to enlighten the ignorant?
- I judged! – with firmness responded judge. Seeing laws being broken.
– Have you tried to make sure that people do not have to break the laws?
- I got a salary to judge! The judge looked gloomily and suspiciously at the prophet. The brow of the judge was wrinkled, his eyes were angry. “You say inappropriate things, prophet, I must tell you!” he said sternly. - Dangerous things! You're talking too freely, prophet! From your reasoning, I suspect that you are not a Shia, a prophet? A Sunni should not reason like that, prophet! Your words are foreseen by the books of the Sunnah!
The judge thought.
“Therefore, on the basis of the fourth book of the Sunnah, page one hundred and twenty-three, fourth line from the top, read from the second half, and guided by the explanations of the wise elders, our holy mullahs, I accuse you, prophet ...
Here the prophet broke down and laughed.
- Go back to the ground, judge! - he said. You are too strict for us. Here we have, in heaven, much kinder!
And he sent the wise judge back to earth.
"But how can I do it when I'm dead?" the judge exclaimed. - How to apply?
- BUT! So good! Since it's done that way, I agree!
And the judge returned to earth.
Caliph and sinner
“To the glory of Allah, the One and the Almighty. To the glory of the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
In the name of the Sultan and Emir of Baghdad, the caliph of all the faithful and the humble servant of Allah - Harun al-Rashid, - we, the supreme mufti of the city of Baghdad, declare a real holy fatwa - let it be known to everyone.
This is what, according to the Qur'an, Allah put in our hearts: Wickedness spreads over the earth, and kingdoms perish, countries perish, nations perish for the sake of luxury, fun, feasts and effeminacy, forgetting Allah.
We want the fragrance of piety to ascend from our city of Baghdad to heaven, as the fragrance of its gardens ascends, as the sacred calls of muezzins ascend from its minarets.
Evil enters the world through a woman.
They forgot the precepts of the law, modesty and good morals. They dress themselves in jewels from head to toe. They wear veils that are as transparent as smoke from a nargile. And if they are covered with precious fabrics, then only in order to better expose the disastrous charms of their body. They made their body, a creation of Allah, an instrument of temptation and sin.
Tempted by them, warriors lose their courage, merchants lose their wealth, artisans lose their love for work, farmers lose their desire to work.
Therefore, we decided in our hearts to snatch its deadly sting from the snake.
It is announced to the attention of all who live in the great and glorious city of Baghdad:
Any dancing, singing and music are forbidden in Baghdad. Laughter is forbidden, jokes are forbidden.
Women should go out of the house wrapped from head to toe in white linen veils.
They are allowed to make only small holes for the eyes, so that they, walking along the street, purposely do not stumble upon men.
Everyone, old and young, beautiful and ugly, everyone should know: if any of them is seen naked at least the tip of the little finger, she will be accused of attempting to kill all the men and defenders of the city of Baghdad and immediately stoned to death. That is the law.
Perform it as if it were signed by the caliph himself, the great Harun al-Rashid.
By his grace and appointment, the Grand Mufti of the city of Baghdad, Sheikh Gazif.
Under the roar of drums, with the sounds of trumpets, heralds read such a fatwa at the bazaars, crossroads and at the fountains of Baghdad - and at the same moment singing, music and dancing stopped in a cheerful and luxurious Baghdad. Like a plague has entered the city. The city became as quiet as a graveyard.
Like ghosts, women, wrapped from head to toe in deaf white veils, wandered through the streets, and only their eyes looked out frightened from narrow slits.
The bazaars were deserted, the noise and laughter disappeared, and even in the coffee houses the talkative storytellers fell silent.
People are always like this: they rebel - they rebel so much, and if they start to obey the laws, they obey in such a way that even the authorities become disgusted.
Harun al-Rashid himself did not recognize his cheerful, joyful Baghdad.
“Wise Sheikh,” he said to the Grand Mufti, “it seems to me that your fatwa is too harsh!
- Lord! Laws and dogs must be evil to be feared! replied the Grand Mufti.
And Harun-al-Rashid bowed to him:
“Perhaps you are right, wise sheikh!
At that time, in distant Cairo, the city of fun, laughter, jokes, luxury, music, singing, dancing and transparent women's bedspreads, there lived a dancer named Fatma Khanum, may Allah forgive her sins for the joys that she brought to people. She was her eighteenth spring.
Fatma Khanum was famous among the dancers of Cairo, and the dancers of Cairo were famous among the dancers of the whole world.
She had heard a lot about the luxury and riches of the East, and Baghdad, she heard, sparkled with the largest diamond among the East.
The whole world was talking about the great caliph of all the faithful, Harun al-Rashid, about his brilliance, splendor, generosity.
The rumor about him touched her pink ears, and Fatma Khanum decided to go east, to Baghdad, to the caliph Harun al-Rashid - to please his eyes with her dances.
- Custom requires that every true believer bring the Caliph the best that he has; I will also bring to the great caliph the best that I have - my dances.
She took her clothes with her and went on a long journey. The ship on which she sailed from Alexandria to Beirut was overtaken by a storm. Everyone lost their heads.
Fatma Khanum dressed as she usually dressed for dances.
– Look! - the frightened travelers pointed at her with horror. One woman has already lost her mind!
But Fatma Khanum answered:
- For a man to live - he only needs a saber, a woman needs only a dress to fit - a man will get her everything else.
Fatma Khanum was as wise as she was beautiful. She knew that everything was already written in the book of Fate. Kizmet!
The ship was wrecked on the coastal rocks, and of all those sailing on the ship, only Fatma Khanum was thrown ashore. In the name of Allah, she traveled with passing caravans from Beirut to Baghdad.
"But we're taking you to your death!" - her drivers and escorts said to her in the form of encouragement. “In Baghdad, you will be stoned to death because you are dressed like that!”
- In Cairo, I was dressed the same way, and no one even hit me with a flower for it!
- There is no such virtuous mufti as Sheikh Gazif in Baghdad, and he did not issue such a fatwa!
– But for what? For what?
- They say that such a dress excites perverse thoughts in men!
How can I be responsible for other people's thoughts? I'm only responsible for my own!
“Talk about it with Sheikh Gazif!”
Fatma Khanum arrived in Baghdad with a caravan at night.
Alone, in a dark, empty, dead city, she wandered through the streets until she saw houses where a fire glowed. And she knocked. It was the home of the Grand Mufti.
So in autumn, during the flight of birds, the wind carries quails directly into the net.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Gazif did not sleep.
He sat, thought about virtue and composed a new fatwa, even more severe than the previous one ... Hearing a knock, he became alert:
“Caliph Haroun al-Rashid himself?” He often can't sleep at night and loves to roam the city!
The mufti himself opened the door and stepped back in amazement and horror.
- Woman?! Woman? I have? The Grand Mufti? And in such clothes?
Fatma Khanum bowed deeply and said:
"My father's brother!" From your majestic appearance, from your venerable beard, I see that you are not a mere mortal. By the huge emerald - the color of the prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him - that adorns your turban, I guess that I see before me the greatest Mufti of Baghdad, the venerable, famous and wise Sheikh Gazif. My father's brother, receive me as you would receive your brother's daughter! I am from Cairo. My mother named me Fatma. I am a dancer by occupation, if you want to call this pleasure an occupation. I came to Baghdad to amuse the eyes of the caliph of the faithful with my dances. But I swear, Grand Mufti, I did not know anything about the formidable fatwa - undoubtedly fair, because it comes from your wisdom. That is why I dared to appear before you dressed not according to the fatwa. Forgive me, great and wise mufti!
- Allah alone is great and wise! The mufti replied. - I really am called Gazif, people call me a sheikh, and our great ruler, Caliph Harun al-Rashid, appointed me, above my merits, the Grand Mufti. Your happiness is that you came to me, and not to a mere mortal. A mere mortal, on the basis of my own fatwa, should immediately send for zaptiya or stone you himself.
- What are you going to do with me? Fatma Khanum exclaimed in horror.
- I? Nothing! I will admire you. The law is like a dog - he must bite others and caress his masters. The fatwa is harsh, but I wrote the fatwa. Make yourself at home, my brother's daughter. If you want to sing - sing, if you want to dance - dance!
But when the sound of the tambourine rang out, the mufti shuddered:
- Quiet! Will hear! What if the accursed qadi finds out that the Grand Mufti had a foreigner at night ... Oh, these dignitaries! The snake does not sting the snake, and the dignitaries only think how to sting each other. Of course, this woman is beautiful, and I would gladly make her the first dancer in my harem. But wisdom, Grand Mufti. Wisdom... I'll send this criminal to the qadi. Let her dance before him. If the qadi finds her guilty and orders her execution, then justice will be done ... The law on my fatwa has never been applied, and the law that is not applied is a dog that does not bite. She is no longer afraid. Well, if the qadi is deceived and has mercy on her, the sting of the accursed snake will be torn out! The defendant in whose crime the judge participated can sleep peacefully.
And the Grand Mufti wrote a note to the Qadi: “Great Qadi! To you, as to the supreme judge of Baghdad, I am sending a criminal against my fatwa. As a doctor examines the most dangerous disease without fear of falling ill himself, examine the crime of this woman. Take a look at her and her dances. And if you find her guilty against my fatwa, call for justice. If you recognize me as deserving of indulgence, call mercy into your heart. For mercy is above justice. Justice was born on earth, and the birthplace of mercy is heaven.
The great qadi did not sleep either. He wrote the next day the decisions on those cases that he would consider - in advance - "so as not to torment the defendants with the expectation of a verdict."
When Fatma Khanum was brought to him, he read the mufti's note and said:
- BUT! old viper! Apparently, he himself violated his fatwa and now wants us to violate it!
And, turning to Fatma Khanum, he said:
“So you are a stranger, seeking justice and hospitality. Wonderful. But in order to do you justice, I must know all your crimes. Dance, sing, do your criminal deeds. Remember one thing: before the judge, you must not hide anything. The fairness of the sentence depends on this. As for hospitality, this is the specialty of a judge. The judge always keeps his guests longer than they want.
And in the house of the qadi that night the tambourine sounded. The Grand Mufti was not mistaken.
Harun al-Rashid did not sleep that night, and, as usual, he wandered the streets of Baghdad. The caliph's heart sank with melancholy. Is it his cheerful, noisy, carefree Baghdad, usually awake long after midnight? Now snoring was coming from all the houses. Suddenly the caliph's heart trembled. He heard the sound of a tambourine. They played - oddly enough - in the house of the Grand Mufti. After a while, the tambourine rattled in the qadi's house.
Everything is perfect in this beautiful city! exclaimed the Caliph, smiling. While vice sleeps, virtue rejoices!
And he went to the palace, terribly interested in what was happening at night in the house of the great mufti and qadi.
He barely waited for dawn, and as soon as the pink rays of sunrise flooded Baghdad, he went to the Lion Hall of his palace and announced the Supreme Court. Haroun al-Rashid sat on the throne. Near him stood the guardian of his honor and power - a squire and held a drawn sword. To the right of the caliph sat a great mufti in a turban with a huge emerald, the color of the prophet, may peace and good will be upon him. To the left sat the supreme qadi in a turban with a huge ruby, like blood.
The Caliph laid his hand on his drawn sword and said:
- In the name of Allah, the One and Merciful, we declare the Supreme Court open. May he be as just and merciful as Allah! Happy is the city that can sleep peacefully, because its rulers do not sleep for it. Tonight Baghdad slept peacefully, because three did not sleep for him: I am his emir and caliph, my wise mufti and my formidable qadi!
“I was writing a new fatwa!” the mufti said.
- I was in charge of state affairs! the kadi said.
And how joyful it is to indulge in virtue! Like a dance, this is done to the sound of a tambourine! exclaimed Haroun al-Rashid cheerfully.
- I interrogated the accused! the mufti said.
- I interrogated the accused! the kadi said.
- A hundred times happy is the city where vice is persecuted even at night! exclaimed Haroun al-Rashid.
We also know about this criminal. We heard about her from a caravan driver we met on the street at night, with whom she arrived in Baghdad. We ordered her to be taken into custody, and she's here now. Enter the accused!
Fatma Khanum entered trembling and fell down in front of the caliph.
Harun al-Rashid turned to her and said:
“We know who you are, and we know that you have come from Cairo to please the eyes of your Caliph with your dances. The best that you have, you brought us in the simplicity of your soul. But you violated the sacred fatwa of the Grand Mufti and for this you are subject to trial. Get up, my child! And fulfill your desire: dance before the caliph. That from which neither the great mufti nor the wise qadi died, from that, with the help of Allah, the caliph will not die.
And Fatma Khanum began to dance.
Looking at her, the Grand Mufti whispered, but in such a way that the caliph could hear:
- Oh, sin! Oh sin! She tramples on the holy fatwa!
Looking at her, the supreme qadi whispered, but in such a way that the caliph could hear:
- Oh, crime! Oh crime! Every move she makes is worthy of death!
The Caliph watched silently.
- Sinner! Haroun al-Rashid said. - From the city of beautiful vice, Cairo, you arrived in the city of severe virtue - Baghdad. Piety reigns here. Piety, not hypocrisy. Piety is gold, and hypocrisy is a counterfeit coin, for which Allah will give nothing but punishment and death. Neither beauty nor the misfortunes you have endured soften the hearts of your judges. Virtue is harsh, and pity is inaccessible to her. Do not stretch out your pleading hands in vain either to the Grand Mufti, or to the Supreme Qadi, or to me, your Caliph... Great Mufti! What is your sentence for this woman who violated the holy fatwa?
The Grand Mufti bowed and said:
- Death!
- Supreme Cadi! Your judgment!
The Supreme Qadi bowed and said:
- Death!
- Death! I say too. You have transgressed the holy fatwa and must be stoned right there, on the spot, without a moment's delay. Who will be the first to throw a stone at you? I, your caliph! .. I must throw the first stone at you!
Harun al-Rashid took off his turban, tore off a huge diamond, the glorious "Great Mogul", and threw it at Fatma Khanum. The diamond fell at her feet.
You will be the second! said the Caliph, addressing the Grand Mufti. - Your turban is decorated with a magnificent dark green emerald, the color of the prophet, peace and blessings be upon us ... What better purpose for such a beautiful stone than to punish vice?
The Grand Mufti took off his turban, tore off a huge emerald and threw it away.
- The line is behind you, supreme cadi! Your duty is severe and the huge ruby on your turban sparkles with blood. Fulfill your duty!
Kadi took off his turban, tore off the ruby and threw it away.
- Woman! Haroun al-Rashid said. “Take these stones, which you deserve, as punishment for your crime. And keep them as a memory of the mercy of your caliph, the piety of his great mufti and the justice of his supreme qadi. Go!
And since then, they say, the custom has been in the world to throw beautiful women with precious stones.
- Sheikh Gazif, my great mufti! the caliph said. - I hope that today you will eat pilaf to your heart's content. I fulfilled your fatwa!
Yes, but I'm canceling it. She's too harsh!
- How? You said the law is like a dog. The angrier, the more afraid of him!
- Yes, lord! But a dog must bite strangers. If she bites the owner, the dog is put on a chain!
So judged the wise caliph Harun al-Rashid for the glory of Allah, the One and Merciful.
from Moorish legends
In the morning, bright and cheerful, Caliph Mahommet sat in the magnificent courtroom at the Alhambra, on a carved ivory throne, surrounded by eunuchs, surrounded by servants. Sat and watched. The morning was great.
There was not a cloud in the sky, not a cobweb from a cloud. The courtyard of the Lions was as if covered with a dome of blue enamel. The valley looked out the window, emerald green, with blossoming trees. And this view in the window seemed like a picture inserted into a patterned frame.
- How good! the caliph said. - What a wonderful life. Bring in those who, by their disgusting deeds, poison the quiet pleasures of life!
- Caliph! - answered the chief eunuch. “Today, only one criminal will appear before your wisdom and justice!”
Enter it...
And Sephardin was introduced. He was barefoot, dirty, in rags. His hands were twisted with ropes back. But Sephardin forgot about the ropes when he was led into the Court of Lions.
It seemed to him that he had already been executed and that his soul had already been transferred to the paradise of Mohammed. It smelled of flowers.
Bouquets of diamonds soared over a fountain resting on ten marble lions.
To the right, to the left through the arches one could see chambers covered with patterned carpets.
Multi-colored mosaic walls threw a reflection of gold, blue, red. And the chambers, from which wafted fragrance and coolness, seemed to be filled with golden, blue, pink twilight.
- Get on your knees! Get on your knees! the guards whispered, pushing Sephardin. You are standing in front of the caliph.
The Sephardin fell to his knees and sobbed. He was not yet in paradise - he still had to face trial and execution.
– What did this man do? the Caliph asked, feeling regret stir in his heart.
The eunuch, chosen to accuse without passion and without pity, answered:
“He killed his friend.
- How? – angry, exclaimed Mahommet. - You took the life of your own?! Why did this rascal commit the greatest of crimes?
- For the most insignificant reason! - answered the eunuch. They fought over a piece of cheese that someone dropped and which they found on the road.
- Because of a piece of cheese! Right Allah! Mahommet threw up his hands.
- It's not quite true! Sephardin muttered. It wasn't a piece of cheese. It was just a cheese rind. She was not dropped, but abandoned. In the hope that the dog will find. And people found it.
“And the people gnawed like dogs!” the eunuch observed with contempt.
"Shut up, unfortunate one!" Mahommet shouted beside himself with anger. “With every word you tighten the noose around your throat!” Because of the cheese! Look, despicable! How wonderful life is! How wonderful life is! And you deprived him of all this!
“If I knew that life is like this,” Sephardin replied, looking around, “I would never deprive anyone of it!” Caliph! Everyone speaks, listens - the sage. Hear me, Caliph!
– Speak! Mahommet ordered, holding back his indignation.
- Great Caliph! Life here, on the Holy Mountain, and life there, in the valley from which they brought me, are two lives, Caliph. Let me ask you a question!
- Ask.
Have you ever seen a crust of bread in your dream?
- A crust of bread? The caliph was surprised. I don't remember such a dream!
- Well, yes! A crust of bread! Remember well! Sephardin continued on his knees. - A crust of bread that was thrown. A crust of bread doused with slop. Covered in mold and dirt. A crust of bread that the dog sniffed and did not eat. And did you want to eat this crust of bread, caliph? Have you held out your hand to her, trembling with greed? And did you wake up at that moment, in horror, in despair: the crust, doused with slops, the crust, covered with mold and dirt, only dreamed! It was only in a dream.
- I have never seen such a strange, such a low sleep! the caliph called out. - I see dreams. Armies of enemies that run before my riders. Hunting in gloomy gorges. Wild goats, which I hit with a mark, an arrow ringing in the air. Sometimes I dream of heaven. But I have never seen such a strange dream.
“And I saw him every day and all my life!” Sefardin answered quietly. - In all my life I have not seen another dream! And the one whom I killed, in his whole life had no other dream than this. And no one in our valley has ever seen anything else. We dream of a crust of dirty bread, how do you like victory and paradise.
The Caliph sat silently and thought.
“And you killed your friend in an argument?”
- Killed. Yes. If he lived, like your servants, in the Alhambra, I would deprive him of the joys of life. But he lived in the valley, like me. I made him suffer. That's all I took from him.
The Caliph sat silently and thought.
And as the clouds gather on the top of the mountains, the wrinkles gathered on his brow.
“The law awaits a word of justice from you!” - the eunuch-accuser dared to break the silence of the caliph.
Mahommet glanced at Sephardin.
“Is he waiting to be freed from his suffering as well?” Untie him and let him go. Let him live.
All around did not dare to believe their ears: is that how they hear?
But the laws? exclaimed the eunuch. “But you, Caliph! But we! We are all bound by the laws.
Mahommet looked at his frightened face with a sad smile.
"We'll try to keep him having better dreams in the future, and so that he doesn't bite like a dog over a cheese rind!"
And he stood up as a sign that the judgment was over.
Once Allah descended to earth, took the form of the most, the most simple person, went into the first village that came across and knocked on the door of the poorest house, to Ali.
I'm tired, I'm dying of hunger! Allah said with a low bow. - Let the traveler in.
Poor Ali opened the door for him and said:
- A tired traveler is a blessing to the house. Come in.
Allah has entered.
Ali's family sat and dined.
- Sit down! Ali said. Allah sat.
They all took a piece from themselves and gave it to him. When they finished supper, the whole family stood up for prayer. One guest sat and did not pray. Ali looked at him in surprise.
“Don’t you want to pray to Allah? Ali asked.
Allah smiled.
– Do you know who is your guest? he asked.
Ali shrugged.
- You told me your name - traveler. Why should I know more?
- Well, then know who entered your house, - said the traveler, - I am Allah!
And all of it sparkled like lightning.
Ali fell at the feet of Allah and exclaimed with tears:
Why have I been given such a favor? Are there not enough rich and noble people in the world? We have a mullah in our village, there is a foreman Kerim, there is a rich merchant Megemet. And you chose the poorest, the most beggar - Ali! Thank you.
Ali kissed the footprint of Allah. As it was getting late, everyone went to bed. But Ali could not sleep. All night he tossed and turned from side to side, thinking about something. The next day, the whole thing, too, everyone was thinking about something. Thoughtful he sat at supper and ate nothing.
And when the dinner was over, Ali could not stand it and turned to Allah:
- Do not be angry with me, Allah, that I will ask you a question!
Allah nodded his head and allowed: - Ask!
- I marvel! Ali said. - I'm amazed and I can't understand! We have a mullah in our village, a learned and distinguished man - everyone bows from the waist when they meet him. There is a foreman Kerim, important person, - the wali himself stops at him when he travels through our village. There is a merchant Megemet - a rich man, such as, I think, there are not many in the world. He would have managed to treat you and put you to sleep on clean fluff. And you took it and went to Ali, the poor man, the beggar! I must be pleasing to you, Allah? BUT?
Allah smiled and replied:
- Satisfied!
Ali even laughed with joy:
- I'm glad you like it! That's glad!
Ali slept well that night. He happily went to work. He returned home merry, sat down to dinner and cheerfully said to Allah:
- And I, Allah, after dinner I need to talk to you!
Let's talk after dinner! Allah answered cheerfully.
When dinner was over and the wife had cleared the dishes, Ali cheerfully turned to Allah:
- And it must be, I am very pleasing to you, Allah, if you took it and came to me ?! BUT?
- Yes! Allah answered with a smile.
- BUT? Ali continued with a laugh. - There is a mullah in the village, to whom everyone bows, there is a foreman, at whom the wali himself stops, there is Megemet the rich man, who would pile pillows up to the ceiling and would be glad to slaughter a dozen rams for dinner. And you took it and went to me, to the poor man! I must be very pleased with you? Say, very?
- Yes! Yes! – answered, smiling, Allah.
- No, you tell me, really, I am very pleasing to you? Ali insisted. - That you are all "yes, yes." You tell me how I please you?
- Yes Yes Yes! I like you very, very, very much! Allah answered with a laugh.
- So much?
- OK. Let's go to sleep, God.
Ali woke up the next morning in an even better mood. All day he walked, smiling, thinking something cheerful and joyful.
At dinner he ate for three and after dinner he patted Allah on the knee.
- And I think you, Allah, how terribly you should rejoice that I am so pleasing to you? BUT? Tell me, do you like it? Are you very happy, Allah?
- Highly! Highly! Allah answered with a smile.
- I think! Ali said. “I, brother Allah, know from my own experience. Even if a dog is pleasing to me, it gives me pleasure to see it. So it's a dog, and then I! Either I or you, Allah! I imagine how you must rejoice, looking at me! You see in front of you such a pleasing person for you! Is your heart playing?
- He's playing, he's playing! Let's go to bed! Allah said.
“Well, let’s go to bed, perhaps!” Ali replied.
- Excuse me!
The next day, Ali walked around thoughtful, sighed at dinner, looked at Allah, and Allah noticed that Ali once even imperceptibly wiped away a tear.
Why are you so sad, Ali? Allah asked when they had finished supper.
Ali sighed.
- Yes, about you, Allah, I thought! What would happen to you if I didn't exist?
- Is that how it is? Allah was surprised.
What would you do without me, Allah? Look at the yard, how windy and cold it is, and the rain is whipping like lashes. What would happen if there wasn’t such a person as pleasing to you as me? Where would you go? You would freeze in the cold, in the wind, in the rain. There would be no dry thread on you! And now you're sitting warm and dry. Light, and you ate. And all why? Because there is such a person you like, to whom you could go! You would perish, Allah, if I were not in the world. Lucky are you, Allah, that I exist in the world. Right, lucky one!
Then Allah could not stand it anymore, laughed loudly and disappeared from view. Only on the bench where he was sitting lay a pile of large chervonets, two thousand pieces.
- Fathers! What wealth! Ali's wife threw up her hands. - Yes, what is it? Is there so much money in the world? Yes, I'm confused!
But Ali pushed her away from the money with his hand, counted the gold and said:
“N-a little!
Mustafa and his friends
Mustafa was a wise man. He said to himself:
- A person who seeks the truth is like a person who is tormented by an unbearable thirst. When a person is thirsty, he should drink water and not spit.
Therefore, Mustafa listened more than he spoke. He listened equally to everyone. Those who were considered smart. And those who were considered stupid. Who knows who is smart and who is really stupid?
- If the lamp barely flickers, this does not mean that there is no oil in it. Often the lamp barely burns, because it is filled with oil and has not yet flared up.
Anyone who wanted to enter into a conversation with him, Mustafa asked:
Do you know anything about the truth? Tell me.
Once, when Mustafa, thinking, was walking along the road, an old dervish met him. The dervish said to Mustafa:
- Good afternoon, Mustafa!
Mustafa looked at him in amazement: he had never seen this dervish.
- Where do you know me from?
The dervish smiled and instead of answering he asked:
What are you doing, Mustafa?
- You see what I'm doing! Mustafa replied. - I'm going.
- I see that you are coming now. What do you usually do? the dervish asked.
Mustafa shrugged.
- What everyone usually does. I walk, I sit, I lie down, I drink, I eat, I trade, I quarrel with my wife.
The dervish smiled slyly:
- But what are you doing, Mustafa, when you walk, sit, lie down, drink or eat, when you trade, quarrel with your wife?
The startled Mustafa replied:
– I think: what is the truth? I'm looking for truth.
Do you want to know what truth is? – all smiling, continued the dervish.
“Of all I know, I know for certain that this is what I want to know the most.
– Truth? This is our butt.
- How so? Mustafa asked.
- She is with us, near, but we do not see her.
- I do not understand this! Mustafa said.
The dervish gave him a precious ring.
"Here's your clue." Give this ring to the person farthest from you. And you will understand.
And having said this, he turned off the road and disappeared into the bushes before Mustafa had time to come to his senses. Mustafa looked at the ring.
Truly, he never saw a more precious thing. No such stones, no such size, no such game! Mustafa said to himself:
- It's easy to do!
He took as much money as he could and went on his way. He rode camels across the sultry, dead, scorching desert, at every moment risking falling and breaking to death, crossed the icy mountains, crossed many wide and fast rivers, passed through dense forests, tearing his skin on sharp branches, crossed, almost wrecked, through boundless ocean and finally found himself at the end of the world.
Burnt by the sun, and frozen, and wounded, not like himself.
Among the fields covered with eternal snow. There was eternal night.
And only the stars burned over the icy desert. In the middle of a snowy field, wrapped in furs, a man sat, all trembling, in front of the fire and warmed himself.
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he did not notice how Mustafa approached, how Mustafa sat down by the fire and began to warm himself.
- What are you thinking about? Mustafa finally asked, breaking the silence of the man wrapped in furs.
And the words sounded strange in the icy desert, where everything was silent from the creation of the world.
The man wrapped in furs shuddered, as if awakening from a dream, and said:
“I wonder if there is something in there…
He pointed to the sky.
- For the stars!
“If there is nothing there,” continued the fur-wrapped man, as if talking to himself, “then how foolishly I am spending my life!” Often I want to do this or that, but the thought stops me: what if there is “there”? And I refuse what would give me pleasure. Every day I spend two hours in prayer, and I cry, and weep, and my heart beats like it never beats again. And suddenly there is nothing there? I'm sorry for not wasting time. I'm sorry for the gift of shed tears, I'm sorry for the beating of my heart. These tears and this heartbeat would have found a better place on earth.
And the man wrapped in furs twitched with indignation and disgust at the thought:
“What if there’s nothing there?”
- And if there is?
And he shuddered in horror:
“Then how dreadfully I spend my life!” Only two hours a day I do what needs to be done. If everything does not end here, and life only begins there? Then what, what nonsense, what worthless, senseless nonsense, am I wasting all the rest of the hours of my life!
And by the light of the fire, as if illuminated here on earth by the flames of hell, Mustafa saw the face of a man distorted by unbearable torment, who looked at the stars with a groan:
– What is truth? Is there anything there?
And the stars were silent.
And this groan was so terrible, and this silence was so terrible, that the wild animals, whose eyes, like sparks, burned in the darkness, the wild animals that came running to the sound of voices, turned their tails and retreated in horror.
With eyes full of tears, Mustafa embraced a man with a face distorted by suffering:
- My brother! We suffer from the same disease! Let your heart listens to my beating. They say the same thing.
And having said this, Mustafa stepped back from the man in amazement.
- I went through the universe to see the person farthest from me, but I found my brother, almost myself!
And Mustafa sadly hid the precious ring, which he wanted to put on the finger of a man who was sitting in front of a fire in the middle of an icy desert.
– Where else to go? Mustafa thought. “I don’t know the way to the stars!”
And decided to return home.
His wife greeted him with cries of joy:
We thought you were dead! Tell me, what business has brought you so far from home?
“I wanted to know what truth is.
– Why do you need it?
Mustafa looked at his wife in amazement. He told her about the meeting with the dervish and showed her the gem.
The wife nearly fainted.
- What stones! - She threw up her hands: - And you wanted to give this thing?
- To the person farthest from me.
The wife's face was blotchy.
She clutched her head and yelled in a voice that Mustafa had never heard from her before:
Have you seen the fool? He receives a precious ring! Stones that have no price! And instead of giving it to his wife, he drags himself across the world to throw such a treasure - to whom? To the person farthest from him! Like a stone in someone else's dog! Why did heaven create such a fool, if not to punish his wife?! Woe is me! Woe!
And suddenly Mustafa saw that the distance between them was greater than to the smallest star, which was barely visible.
Mustafa gave his wife a precious dervish ring with a smile and said:
- Yes. You're right.
And he walked all day smiling. And wrote:
“Truth is our back of the head. Here, about. But we don't see it."
Mustafa then received bliss in heaven.
But not on earth.
Husband and wife
Persian legend
- Amazingly created light! - said the sage Jafar.
- Yes, I must admit, it's strange! - answered the sage Eddin.
So they spoke before the wise Shah Aibn-Musi, who liked to pit the wise men against each other and see what would come of the wise.
- No object can be cold and hot, heavy and light, beautiful and ugly at the same time! Jafar said. – And only people can be near and far at the same time.
- Is that how it is? the Shah asked.
“Let me tell you a story!” Jafar replied with a bow, pleased that he had succeeded in capturing the Shah's attention.
And Eddin at this time almost burst with envy.
- He lived in the best of the cities, in Tehran, Shah Gabibullin - Shah, how are you. And poor Sarrach lived. And they lived very close to each other. If the shah wanted to make Sarrach happy and go to his hut, he would have reached before he could count to three hundred. And if Sarrach could go to the palace of the Shah, he would have reached even faster, because the poor man always goes faster than the Shah: he is more in the habit. Sarrach often thought about the Shah. And the Shah sometimes thought of Sarrach, because once on the way he saw Sarrach weeping over the dead last donkey, and out of his mercy he asked the name of the weeping one in order to mention him in his evening prayers: "Allah! Comfort Sarrach! Let Sarrach cry no more!”
Sarrach sometimes asked himself the question: “I would like to know what kind of horses the Shah rides? I think that they are forged only with gold, and are so well fed that you will simply tear your legs when you sit on horseback! But he immediately answered himself: “However, what a fool I am! Shah will ride! Others ride for him. And the shah probably sleeps all day. What more can he do? Of course he's sleeping! There is nothing better than sleeping!”
Then Sarrach came to mind:
“Well, is there something like that? Shah must and eat. It's not a bad job either! Hehe! Sleep, eat and sleep again! This is life! And there is nothing, but every time a new ram. He sees a ram, now he will slaughter, roast and eat at his pleasure. Good!.. Only I'm a fool! It will become a shah, like a simple man, there is a whole ram. The shah eats away only the kidneys of the ram. Because the kidney is the most delicious. He will slaughter a ram, eat off his kidneys and slaughter another! This is Shah food!”
And Sarrach sighed: “And the shah has fleas, I think! Fat! What are your quails! Not what I have - rubbish, they have nothing to eat. And the shah and fleas should be like no one else. Fattened!
Shah, when he remembered Sarrakh weeping over a dead donkey, thought:
“Poor fellow! And he looks thin. From bad food. I don’t think that every day he roasted a mountain goat on a spit. I think he eats only rice. I would like to know what he cooks pilaf with - lamb or chicken?
And the shah wanted to see Sarrach. They dressed Sarrach, washed him and brought him to the shah.
Hello, Sarrah! the shah said. We are close neighbors!
Yes, not too far! Sarah replied.
“And I would like to talk to you like a neighbor.” Ask me what you want. And I'll ask you.
- Glad to serve! Sarah replied. - I don't have much demand. One thing haunts me. That you are strong, rich, I know. You have a lot of treasures, it's me, and without looking, I'll say. That you have magnificent horses in your stable, there is nothing to think about. But order me to show those fleas that bite you. What treasures you have, horses, I imagine. But I can't imagine your fleas!
The shah was amazed, shrugged his shoulders, looked around in surprise at everyone:
I can't understand what this man is talking about. What are these fleas? What it is? It must be that this person just wants to put me in a dead end. You, Sarrach, that's what! Instead of talking about some kind of stones or trees, what are these “fleas” of yours? - You better answer my question yourself.
- Ask, shah! Sarrach answered with a bow. - As before the prophet, I will not hide anything.
- With what do you, Sarrach, cook your pilaf: with lamb or with chicken? And what do you put in there: raisins or plums?
Here Sarrakh widened his eyes and looked at the Shah in amazement:
- What is plov? City or river?
And they looked at each other in amazement.
- So only people can be, lord, at the same time close and far from each other! – wise Jafar finished his story.
Shah Aibn Musi laughed:
- Yes, the light is strangely arranged!
And, turning to the sage Eddin, who turned green from the success of Jafar, he said:
“What do you say to that, wise Eddin?”
Addin just shrugged.
- Lord, order to send for Jafar's wife! Let her bring my answer.
And while the servants ran after Jafar's wife, Eddin turned to the sage:
“While they are looking for your worthy wife, Jafar, kindly answer us a few questions. How long have you been married?
- Twenty full years! Jafar answered.
- And all the time you live with your wife inseparably?
What a strange question! Jafar shrugged. - A fool wanders from place to place. A wise man sits in one place. He, even sitting at home, can mentally flow around the seas and lands. That's what he has a mind for. I never, thank God, had the need to leave Tehran - and, of course, I lived with my wife inseparably.
“Twenty years under the same roof?” Eddin didn't hesitate.
Every house has only one roof! Jafar shrugged.
“Tell us what your wife thinks?”
- Weird question! Jafar exclaimed. “You, Eddin, are certainly a wise man. But today someone else sits inside you and speaks for you. Throw him out, Eddin! He's talking nonsense! What can the wife of a man who is recognized by all as a wise man think? Of course, she is glad that Allah sent her a wise man as companions and mentors. She is happy and proud of it. And that's all. I didn't ask her about it. But do they really ask during the day: “Is it light now?” - and at night: “is it dark outside now?” There are things that are self-evident.
At this time, Jafar's wife was brought in, all in tears. Of course, when an old woman is called to the shah, she always cries - she thinks that she will be punished. Why call more?
The shah, however, reassured her with a kind word and, shouting not to cry, asked:
“Tell us, wife of Jafar, are you happy that you are married to such a wise man?”
The woman, seeing that she was not being punished, took her will and began to say not what she should, but what she thinks.
- Oh, what happiness there! Jafar's wife exclaimed, bursting into tears again, like a stupid cloud that rains twice a day. - What happiness! A husband with whom you can’t say two words, who walks and speaks, as if he memorized the Koran! A husband who thinks about what is happening in heaven and does not see that his wife's last dress is falling off her shoulders! He looks at the moon as the last goat is taken from his yard. Behind a stone is more fun to be married. You approach him with affection, - “woman, do not interfere! I think!" You come up with abuse, - “woman, don’t interfere! I think!" We don't even have children. To be married to such a fool who always thinks and does not come up with anything - what happiness! May Allah protect anyone who virtuously covers her face!
The Shah laughed.
Jafar stood all red, looked at the ground, pulled his beard and stamped his foot. Eddin looked at him mockingly and, pleased that he had destroyed his opponent, with a deep bow said to the Shah:
“Here is my answer, my lord!” With people who look at the stars for a long time, this happens. They begin to look for a hat, as their fate, among the stars, and not on their heads. What my wise adversary Jafar said is absolutely true! Wonderfully created light. Nothing can be warm and cold at the same time, only people can be close and far at the same time. But I am surprised why he needed to go to the dirty hut of some Sarrah and trample the floors of the Shah's palace with his feet for examples. It was worth looking under the roof of your own house. Shah, whenever you want to see this miracle - people who would be close and far from each other at the same time - you don't have to go far. You will find this in any home. Take any husband and wife.
The Shah was pleased and gave Eddin a hat.
Truth man
Persian legend
Shah Dali-Abbas loved noble and uplifting amusements.
He liked to climb the impregnable sheer cliffs, stealing up to the tours, sensitive and shy. He loved, flattened with a horse in the air, to fly over the abyss, rushing after mountain goats. He loved, leaning his back against a tree, holding his breath, waiting for a huge black bear to come out of the thick bush with a roar, rising on its hind legs, frightened off by the screams of the beaters. He liked to scour the coastal reeds, to raise furious striped tigers.
It was a pleasure for the shah to watch how the falcon, flying up to the sun itself, fell like a stone on a white dove and how white feathers flew from under it, sparkling in the sun like snow. Or how a mighty golden eagle, describing a circle in the air, rushed at a red fox running skipping in the thick grass. Dogs, tailbones and hawks of the Shah were famous even among neighboring peoples.
None passed new moon without the shah going somewhere to hunt.
And then the shah’s close associates flew in advance to the province that the shah appointed for hunting, and said to the ruler there:
- Celebrate! Unheard-of joy falls to the lot of your region! On such and such a day two suns will rise in your region. Shah is coming to you to hunt.
The ruler grabbed his head:
– Allah! And they won't let you sleep! Here is life! Better to die! Much calmer! Punishment from Allah! Angry!
The servants of the ruler galloped through the villages:
- Hey you! Fools! Quit your low pursuits! Enough for you to plow, sow, shear your black sheep! Throw fields, houses, herds! Will take care of maintaining your miserable life! There is something higher! The shah himself is coming to our region! Go build roads, build bridges, lay paths!
And by the time the Shah arrived, it was impossible to recognize the region.
The shah rode along a wide road, along which six riders calmly passed in a row. Bridges hung over the abysses.
Even the most impregnable rocks led paths. And along the edges of the road stood the villagers, dressed in the best way they could. Many even had green turbans on their heads. They were deliberately forced to put on as if these people were in Mecca.
End of introductory segment.
* * *
The following excerpt from the book Wisdom of the East. Parables about love, kindness, happiness and the benefits of science (Evgeny Taran) provided by our book partner -
Once upon a time there was a rich man who never thought about God. He was always busy with his worldly business - collecting money. He earned his living by lending money, and showed such big interest to this, that he became very rich without doing anything.
One day he went with his account books to a neighboring village to visit his debtors. After completing his business, he found that it was getting dark and to get home, he had to walk 3-4 miles. He asked if there...
Once Khoja Nasreddin went to the bazaar and walked back and forth along the stalls for a long time, asking the price, but not buying anything. The market guard watched from a distance for some time, but, in the end, turned to him with admonition:
Dear, I see that you have no money, you are only in vain tugging at the merchant people. Give you this and that, change the style and size, weigh and cut, and the benefits to the merchant are not a penny. If I didn’t know that you were Khoja Nasreddin, I would have thought that a thief was wound up in the market: he was waiting for the merchant ...
Gui Zi always speaks in riddles, one of the courtiers once complained to Prince Liang. - Lord, if you forbid him to use allegories, believe me, he will not be able to sensibly formulate a single thought.
The prince agreed with the petitioner. The next day he met Guy Tzu.
From now on, please leave your parables and speak directly, - said the prince.
In response, he heard:
- Imagine a person who does not know what a catapult is. He asks what it is, and you...
One man named Ali worked hard and hard. He mined salt and took it to the city to sell it. But since childhood, he had a dream - Ali wanted to save up money and buy a white Arabian horse for them in order to travel on horseback to Samarkand. And then one day, having accumulated a sufficient amount of money, Ali went with a passing caravan to a large camel market, where the best camels and horses were sold. Early in the morning, at dawn, he arrived at the place. Ali's eyes widened at the sight of so many choicest...
Chuang Tzu was born into a poor family, and there was often not enough food in the house. And then one day his parents sent him to borrow some rice from a rich man. He replied:
Of course I can help. Soon I will collect taxes from my village and then I can lend you three hundred pieces of silver. Is that enough?
Chuang Tzu looked at him angrily and said:
Yesterday I was walking along the road and suddenly someone called me. I looked around and saw a gudgeon in a roadside ditch. “I am the lord of the waters of the Eastern Ocean,” said the gudgeon. - Not...
at Nasreddin at Khoja's
there were two buckets:
in one - everything was "brilliance and chic"
in the other - there was a hole
He walked with them on the water
To the nearest stream
one thing - he brought full,
another - no fuck
And first, being proud of yourself,
laughed at the second...
the second wept, ashamed
your stupid hole...
And here, a bucket with a hole
Hodge said:
"Well, what are you running around with me
which year already?
you better throw me away
away, I pray
I will only shame you
and pour water for nothing!
Vedru answered...
The old father, before a long journey, gave his last instructions to his young son:
Fear, like rust, slowly and constantly corrodes the soul and turns a man into a jackal!
Therefore, be sinless! Sinless in everything! And then - no one will ever disgrace you.
And then there will be no vile fear in you. Then natural nobility will sprout in you, and you will become worthy of your name and Family.
Be prudent to become rich. Puffy people lose their dignity, and with it their wealth ...
One day a caravan was going through the desert.
Night fell, and the caravan stopped for the night.
The boy looking after the camels asked the caravan guide:
There are twenty camels, but only nineteen ropes, what to do?
He replied:
- A camel is a stupid animal, go up to the last one and pretend that you are tying it, it will believe and behave calmly.
The boy did as the guide told him to, and the camel did indeed stand still.
The next morning the boy counted...
Parables are short and entertaining stories that express the experience of many generations of lives. Parables about love have always been especially popular. And no wonder - these stories filled with meaning can teach a lot. And the right relationship with a partner, too.
After all, love is a great power. She is able to create and destroy, inspire and deprive of strength, give insight and deprive of reason, believe and be jealous, perform feats and push for betrayal, give and take, forgive and avenge, idolize and hate. So love needs to be handled. And instructive parables about love will help in this.
Where else to draw wisdom, if not in the stories proven over the years. We hope that short stories about love will answer many of your questions and teach harmony. After all, we are all born to love and be loved.
Parable about love, wealth and health
Parable about love and happiness
- Where does love go? - the little happiness asked his father. “She is dying,” said the father. People, son, do not cherish what they have. They just don't know how to love!
Little happiness thought: I'll grow up big and start helping people! Years passed. Happiness grew and became greater.
It remembered its promise and tried its best to help the people, but the people did not hear it.
And gradually Happiness began to turn from a big one into a small and stunted one. It was very afraid that it would not disappear at all, and set off on a long journey to find a cure for its illness.
How long did Happiness go for a short time, not meeting anyone on its way, it only became very bad for him.
And it stopped to rest. I chose a sprawling tree and lay down. I had just dozed off when I heard footsteps approaching.
He opened his eyes and sees: a decrepit old woman is walking through the forest, all in rags, barefoot and with a staff. Happiness rushed to her: - Sit down. You must be tired. You need to rest and refresh.
The old woman's legs buckled, and she literally collapsed into the grass. After a short rest, the wanderer told Happiness her story:
- It's a shame when you are considered so decrepit, but I'm still young, and my name is Love!
- So this is you Love?! Happiness struck. But I was told that love is the most beautiful thing in the world!
Love looked at him attentively and asked:
- And what is your name?
- Happiness.
- That's how? I was also told that happiness should be beautiful. And with these words she took out a mirror from her rags.
Happiness, looking at her reflection, wept loudly. Love sat down to him and gently hugged her hand. - What did these evil people and fate do to us? - Happiness sobbed.
- Nothing, - said Love, - If we are together and take care of each other, we will quickly become young and beautiful.
And under that sprawling tree, Love and Happiness made their union never to be separated.
Since then, if Love leaves someone's life, Happiness leaves with it, they do not exist separately.
And people still don't get it...
The parable of the best wife
One day, two sailors set off on a journey around the world to find their destiny. They sailed to the island, where the leader of one of the tribes had two daughters. The eldest is beautiful, and the youngest is not very.
One of the sailors said to his friend:
- That's it, I found my happiness, I stay here and marry the leader's daughter.
- Yes, you are right, the eldest daughter of the leader is beautiful, smart. You made the right choice - get married.
You don't understand me, friend! I am marrying the chief's youngest daughter.
- Are you crazy? She's like... not so much.
This is my decision and I will do it.
The friend sailed on in search of his happiness, and the groom went to woo. I must say that in the tribe it was customary to give cows for the bride. A good bride cost ten cows.
He drove ten cows and approached the leader.
- Chief, I want to marry your daughter and give ten cows for her!
- It's a good choice. My eldest daughter is beautiful, smart, and she is worth ten cows. I agree.
No, sir, you don't understand. I want to marry your youngest daughter.
- Are you joking? Can't you see, she's just so... not so good.
- I want to marry her.
- Okay, but how fair man I can't take ten cows, she's not worth it. I'll take three cows for her, no more.
- No, I want to pay exactly ten cows.
They merried.
Several years passed, and the wandering friend, already on his ship, decided to visit the remaining comrade and find out how his life is. Sailed, walks along the shore, and towards the woman of unearthly beauty.
He asked her how to find his friend. She showed. He comes and sees: his friend is sitting, the kids are running around.
- How is it going?
- I'm happy.
Here comes the same beautiful woman.
- Here, meet me. This is my wife.
- How? Are you married again?
No, it's the same woman.
But how did it happen that she changed so much?
- And you ask her yourself.
A friend approached the woman and asked:
- Sorry for the faux pas, but I remember what you were ... not very much. What happened to make you so beautiful?
- It's just, one day I realized that I was worth ten cows.
The Parable of the Best Husband
One day a woman came to the priest and said:
- You married my husband two years ago. Now separate us. I don't want to live with him anymore.
- What is the reason for your desire to get a divorce? - asked the priest.
The woman explained:
- All husbands return home on time, but my husband is constantly delayed. There are scandals every day because of this house.
The priest, surprised, asks:
- Is this the only reason?
“Yes, I don’t want to live with a person who has such a defect,” the woman replied.
- I'll divorce you, but on one condition. Come back home, bake a big tasty bread and bring it to me. But when you bake bread, do not take anything from the house, and ask your neighbors for salt, water, and flour. And be sure to explain to them the reason for your request,” said the priest.
This woman went home and, without delay, set to work.
She went to a neighbor and said:
- Oh, Maria, lend me a glass of water.
- Have you run out of water? Isn't there a well dug in the yard?
“There is water, but I went to the priest to complain about my husband and asked to divorce us,” that woman explained, and as soon as she finished, the neighbor sighed:
- Oh, if you knew what kind of husband I have! - and began to complain about her husband. After that, the woman went to her neighbor Asya to ask for salt.
- You have run out of salt, are you asking for just one spoon?
“There is salt, but I complained to the priest about my husband, asked for a divorce,” that woman says, and before she had time to finish, the neighbor exclaimed:
- Oh, if you knew what kind of husband I have! - and began to complain about her husband.
So, to whom this woman did not go to ask, from everyone she heard complaints about her husbands.
Finally, she baked a large tasty bread, brought it to the priest and gave it away with the words:
- Thank you, taste my work with your family. Just don't think of divorcing me and my husband.
- Why, what happened, daughter? the priest asked.
- My husband, it turns out, is the best, - the woman answered him.
Parable about true love
Once the teacher asked his students:
Why do people scream when they fight?
“Because they lose their calm,” said one.
- But why shout if the other person is next to you? the Teacher asked. Can't you talk to him quietly? Why scream if you're angry?
The students offered their answers, but none of them satisfied the Teacher.
Finally he explained: - When people are dissatisfied with each other and quarrel, their hearts move away. In order to cover this distance and hear each other, they have to shout. The more angry they are, the farther they move away and the louder they shout.
- What happens when people fall in love? They do not shout, on the contrary, they speak softly. Because their hearts are very close, and the distance between them is very small. And when they fall in love even more, what happens? continued the Teacher. – They do not speak, but only whisper and become even closer in their love. - In the end, even whispering becomes unnecessary for them. They just look at each other and understand everything without words.
A story about a happy family
Two families live next door in a small town. Some spouses constantly quarrel, blaming each other for all troubles and finding out which of them is right. And others live together, they have no quarrels, no scandals.
The obstinate hostess marvels at the happiness of her neighbor and, of course, envies her. Says to her husband:
- Go and see how they do it so that everything is smooth and quiet.
He came to a neighbor's house, hid under an open window and listens.
And the hostess just puts things in order in the house. He wipes an expensive vase from dust. Suddenly the phone rang, the woman was distracted, and put the vase on the edge of the table, so much so that it was about to fall. But then her husband needed something in the room. He caught a vase, it fell and broke.
- Oh, what will happen now! the neighbor thinks. He immediately imagined what a scandal would be in his family.
The wife came up, sighed with regret, and said to her husband:
- Sorry honey.
- What are you, honey? This is my fault. I was in a hurry and did not notice the vase.
- That's my fault. So inaccurately put the vase.
- No, it's my fault. Anyway. We would not have had greater misfortune.
The neighbor's heart hurt. He came home upset. Wife to him:
- Something you quickly. Well, what did you see?
- Yes!
- Well, how are they?
- It's all their fault. That's why they don't fight. But we are always right...
A beautiful legend about the importance of love in life
It so happened that different feelings lived on the same island: Happiness, Sadness, Skill ... And Love was among them.
Once Premonition informed everyone that the island would soon disappear under water. Haste and Haste were the first to leave the island in boats. Soon everyone left, only Love remained. She wanted to stay until the last second. When the island was about to go under water, Love decided to call for help.
Wealth sailed on a magnificent ship. Love says to him: "Wealth, can you take me away?" "No, I have a lot of money and gold on my ship. I don't have room for you!"
Happiness floated past the island, but it was so happy that it did not even hear how Love was calling it.
… and yet Love was saved. After her rescue, she asked Knowledge who it was.
- Time. Because only Time can understand how important Love is!
True love story
In one aul there lived a girl of incomparable beauty, but none of the young men wooed her, no one sought her hand. The fact is that once a wise man who lived in the neighborhood predicted:
- Whoever dares to kiss a beauty will die!
Everyone knew that this wise man was never wrong, so dozens of brave horsemen looked at the girl from afar, not even daring to approach her. But then one fine day a young man appeared in the village, who at first sight, like everyone else, fell in love with the beauty. Without a moment's hesitation, he climbed over the fence, came up and kissed the girl.
- Ah! - shouted the inhabitants of the village. - Now he's going to die!
But the young man kissed the girl again, and again. And she immediately agreed to marry him. The rest of the horsemen turned to the sage in bewilderment:
- How so? You, sage, predicted that the one who kissed the beauty would die!
- I don't go back on my words. - answered the sage. But I didn't say exactly when that would happen. He will die sometime later - after many years of a happy life.
A story about a long family life
An elderly couple who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary were asked how they managed to live together for so long.
After all, there was everything - and difficult times, and quarrels, and misunderstanding.
Perhaps their marriage was on the verge of collapse more than once.
"It's just that in our time, broken things were repaired, not thrown away," the old man smiled in response.
Parable about the fragility of love
Once a wise old man came to a village and stayed to live. He loved children and spent a lot of time with them. He also liked to give them gifts, but he gave only fragile things.
No matter how hard the children tried to be neat, their new toys often broke. The children were upset and wept bitterly. Some time passed, the sage again gave them toys, but even more fragile ones.
One day, the parents could not stand it and came to him:
“You are wise and wish only the best for our children. But why do you give them such gifts? They try their best, but the toys still break and the children cry. But the toys are so beautiful that it is impossible not to play with them.
- Quite a few years will pass, - the old man smiled, - and someone will give them his heart. Maybe this will teach them to handle this priceless gift a little more carefully?
And the moral of all these parables is very simple: love and appreciate each other.
Short wise parables about life: Eastern wisdom
A parable is a short story, story, fable, with or without a moral.
The parable does not always teach life, but always gives a wise hint with a deep meaning.
The parables hide the meaning of life - a lesson for people, but not everyone can see this meaning.
A parable is not a fictional story, it is a story from life 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 stories that take place in everyday life, many events described in parables are very similar to ours. The parable teaches us to look at things from different angles and act wisely and prudently.
If the parable seemed incomprehensible or meaningless, this does not mean that the parable is bad. We are simply not prepared enough to understand it. Rereading parables, each time you can find something new and wise in them.
So, we read Eastern parables, think and grow wiser!
Three important questions
The ruler of one country strove for all wisdom. Rumors reached him once that there was a certain hermit who knew the answers to all questions. The ruler came to him and sees: a decrepit old man, digging a garden bed. 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 all the others.
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 with blood. The ruler stopped him, comforted him with a kind word, brought water from the stream, washed and bandaged the traveler's wounds. Then he took him to the hermit's hut, put him to bed.
The next morning he looks - the hermit is sowing the garden.
“Hermit,” the ruler pleaded, “won’t you answer my questions?”
“You already answered them yourself,” 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 were digging the garden, 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 became the most important person for you, and helping him became 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 that you do to him.
“Now I can answer my third question: what day in a person’s life is more important than the rest,” the ruler said. “The most important day is today.
Most valuable
One person in childhood was very friendly with an 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 to remember the past, or even to be with loved ones.
Once he learned that a neighbor had died - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the boy's deceased father. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.
In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the empty house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago ...
Here are just a small golden box, in which, according to the old man, was kept the most valuable thing for him, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of her few relatives had taken her, the man left the house.
However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing the neighbor's name on it, the man shuddered and opened the package.
Inside was the same golden box. It contained a gold pocket watch engraved with "Thank you for the time you spent with me."
And he realized that 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 is slipping away from us every second. And it needs to be spent right now.
Life as it is
I will tell you a parable: in ancient times, a heartbroken woman came to Gautam Buddha who had lost her son. And she began to pray to the Almighty to return her child. And Buddha ordered the woman to return to the village and collect a mustard seed from each family, in which at least one of its members would not be burned on a funeral pyre. And going around her village and many others, the poor fellow did not find a single 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 into oblivion, 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 flew up to the flame, returned and said:
- The fire is shining.
Another flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said:
- He's stinging!
The third, flying very close, disappeared in the fire and did not return. She learned what she wanted to know, but was no longer able to tell the rest about it.
The one who has received knowledge is deprived of the opportunity to speak about it, therefore the one who knows is silent, and the one who speaks does not know.
understand fate
Chuang Tzu's wife died, and Hui Tzu came to mourn her. Chuang Tzu squatted down and sang songs, hitting his pelvis. Hui Tzu said:
“To not mourn the deceased, who lived with you to old age and raised your children, is too much. But singing songs while hitting the pelvis is simply no good!
“You are wrong,” Chuang Tzu replied. “When she died, could I not be sad at first? Grieving, I began to think about what she was in the beginning, when she was not yet born. And not only was she not born, but she was not yet a body. And not only was it not a body, but it 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 changed and she became the body. The body changed and she was born. Now a new transformation has come - and she is dead. All this changed each other, as the four seasons alternate. Man is buried in the abyss of transformations, 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 correct. And it's easy to prove it.
For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but no appetite; medicines, but not health; servants, but not friends; women, but not love; dwelling, but not the hearth; entertainment, but not joy; education, but not the mind.
And what is mentioned does not exhaust the list.
Walk straight!
There was once a woodcutter who was in a very distressed situation. He subsisted on the paltry amounts of money earned from firewood, which he brought to the city on himself from the nearest forest.
One day a sannyasin passing along the road saw him at work and advised him to go further into the forest, saying:
- Go ahead, go ahead!
The woodcutter heeded the advice, went into the forest and went on until he came to a sandalwood tree. He was very pleased with this find, cut down the tree and, taking with him as many pieces of it as he could carry, he 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 ahead.
The next day, reaching a felled tree, he went further and found copper deposits. He took with him as much copper as he could carry, and by selling it in the bazaar he made even more money.
The next day he found gold, then diamonds, and finally acquired great wealth.
This is precisely the position of a person who strives for true knowledge: if he does not stop in his movement after he reaches some paranormal powers, 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 bizarre dance, slowly approaching the ground.
Two snowflakes flying side by side decided to start a conversation. Afraid of losing each other, they joined hands, and one of them cheerfully says:
- How good it is to fly, enjoy the flight!
“We don’t fly, we just fall,” the second answered sadly.
- Soon we will meet the ground and turn into a white fluffy blanket!
- No, we are flying towards death, and on the ground they will simply trample us.
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 to her.
Finally they got tired of arguing. They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate that she herself chose.
great good
A rich man asked a Zen master to write something good and encouraging, something that would bring great benefit to his whole family. “It must be something that every member of our family thinks about in relation to others,” said the rich man.
He gave a large piece of snow-white expensive paper, on which the master wrote: “The father will die, the son will die, the 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 would bring joy and prosperity to my family. Why did you write something that upsets me?
“If your son dies before you,” the master replied, “it will be an irreparable loss for your entire family. If the grandson dies before your son dies, it will be a great sorrow for everyone. But if your entire family, generation after generation, dies on the same day, it will be a real gift of fate. This will be a great happiness and benefit for your entire family.”
Heaven and Hell
There lived one person. And he spent most of his life trying to figure out the difference between hell and heaven. He pondered this subject day and night.
And then one day he dreamed unusual dream. He went to hell. And he sees people there who are sitting in front of cauldrons of food. And everyone has a big spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But these people look hungry, thin and emaciated. 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, I'll show you 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 everyone has a big spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But they look full, satisfied and happy. When we looked closely, we saw that they were feeding each other. Man should go to man with kindness - that's paradise.
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 came to a beautiful castle that stood on the top of a mountain. There lived the sage he was looking for.
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 delicious dishes of the area. The sage spoke to different people, and the young man had to wait about two hours for his turn.
The sage listened attentively to the young man's explanations about the purpose of his visit, but said in response that he did not have time to reveal to him the secret of happiness. And he invited him to take a walk around the palace and come back in two hours.
“However, I want to ask for one favor,” added the sage, holding out a small spoon to the young man, into which he dropped two drops of oil:
- While walking, hold this spoon in your hand so that the oil does not spill out.
The young man began to go up and down the palace stairs, keeping his eyes on the spoon. Two hours later he again came to the sage.
- Well, how? he asked. Have you seen the Persian carpets that are in my dining room? Have you seen the park that the head gardener has been creating for ten years? Have you noticed the beautiful parchments in my library?
The young man, embarrassed, had to confess that he had not seen anything. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the Sage had entrusted to him.
“Well, come back and get acquainted with the wonders of my universe,” the Sage told him. “You can't trust a man if you don't know the house he lives in.
Reassured, the young man took the 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, the most delicate flowers, the delicacy with which each piece of art was placed exactly where it needed to be. Returning to the sage, he described in detail everything he saw.
“Where are those two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” the sage asked.
And the young man, looking at the spoon, found that the oil had spilled out.
“That is the only advice I can give you: the secret of happiness is to look at all the wonders of the world, never forgetting two drops of oil in a spoon.
Sermon
One day the mullah decided to address the believers. But a young groom came to listen to him. Mulla thought to himself, "Should I speak or not?" And he decided to ask the groom:
"There's no one here besides you, do you think I should speak or not?"
The groom replied:
“Sir, I am a simple man, I don’t understand anything about this. But when I come to the stable and see that all the horses have fled, and only one is left, I still give her food.
Mulla, taking these words to heart, began his sermon. He talked for more than two hours, and when he finished, he felt relieved 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 only one is left, I will feed her anyway. But I will not give her all the food that is intended for all horses.
Parable about positive thinking
Once an old Chinese teacher said to his student:
“Please take a good look around this room and try to notice everything in it that has a brown color.
The young man looked around. There were a lot of brown things in the room: wooden picture frames, a sofa, a curtain rod, desks, book bindings, and a host of other little things.
“Now close your eyes and list all the objects ... blue,” the teacher asked.
The young man was confused:
But I didn't notice anything!
Then the teacher said:
- Open your eyes. Just look how many blue things are here.
It was true: the blue vase, the blue photo frames, the blue carpet, the old teacher's blue shirt.
And the teacher said:
“Look at all those missing items!”
The student replied:
"But it's a trick!" After all, at your direction, I was looking for brown, not blue objects.
Master sighed softly and then smiled, “That's exactly what I wanted to show you. You searched and found only brown. The same thing happens to you in life. You seek and find only the bad and miss the good.
I have always been taught to expect the worst and you will never be disappointed. And if the worst doesn't happen, then I'm in for a pleasant surprise. And if I always hope for the best, then I will only expose myself to the risk of disappointment.
We should not lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. If you expect the worst, then you will definitely get it. And vice versa.
One can find a point of view from which each experience will have a positive meaning. From now on, you will look for something positive in everything and everyone.
How to reach the goal?
A great archery master named Drona taught his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what they saw.
One said:
— I see a tree and a target on it.
Another said:
“I see a tree, a rising sun, birds in the sky…
All the rest answered in much the same way.
Then Drona approached 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
AT ancient india there lived a poor man, whose name was Ali Hafed.
Once a Buddhist priest came to him and told him how the world was created: “Once upon a time, the earth was a continuous fog. And then the Almighty extended his fingers to the fog, and it turned into a ball of fire. And this ball rushed through the universe until the rain fell on the earth 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 down the surface of the earth cooled quickly, it turned into granite. If it cooled slowly, it became copper, silver or gold. And after gold, diamonds were created.”
“Diamond,” said the sage Ali Hafedu, “is a frozen drop of sunlight. If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, continued the priest, you could buy the whole district. But if you owned diamond deposits, you could put all your children on the throne, and all this thanks to huge wealth.
Ali Hafed learned everything there was to know about diamonds that evening. But he went to bed, as always, a poor man. He lost nothing, but he was poor because he was not satisfied, and he was not satisfied because he was afraid that he was poor.
Ali Hafed did not close his eyes all night. He only thought about diamond deposits.
Early in the morning, he woke up an old Buddhist priest and begged him to tell him where to find the diamonds. The priest at first disagreed. But Ali Hafed was so insistent that an old man finally said:
- OK then. You must find a river that flows in white sands among 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 to look for diamonds. He went further and further, but could not find the treasure. In desperation, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.
One day, the 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 sparkle coming from the white sand from the bottom of the stream. He put 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 the 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 towards him, he exclaimed:
- It's a diamond! Ali Hafed is back?
"No," replied Ali Hafed's successor. Ali Hafed didn't come back. And this is a simple stone that I found in my stream.
- You're wrong! exclaimed the priest. “I recognize a diamond from a thousand other gems. I swear on all saints, it's a diamond!
And then they went into the garden and dug up 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 there.
*
The madman is comforted by the past,
weak-minded - the future,
smart - real.
Eastern wisdom.
Since ancient times, people in Russia have loved parables, interpreted Biblical ones and composed their own. True, sometimes they were confused with fables. And already in the 18th century, the writer A.P. Sumarokov called the book of his fables “Proverbs”. Parables are really like fables. However, a fable is different from a parable.
A parable is a small moralizing story, like a fable, but without morality, without direct instruction.
The parable does not teach, but gives a hint of teaching, it is a delicate creation of the people.
In parables, in an ordinary, everyday case, a universal meaning is hidden - a lesson for all people, but not everyone, but very few, is given to see this meaning.
Parables immerse us in a fictional world where everything is possible, but, as a rule, this world is just a moralizing reflection of reality.
A parable is not a fictional story, it is primarily a story about real events that have taken place at all times. From generation to generation, parables, like oral folk art, were passed from mouth to mouth, supplemented by details, some details, but at the same time they did not lose their wisdom and simplicity. At different times, in different countries, many people, when making responsible decisions, looked for the answer in parables and instructive stories that have come down to our days.
Parables describe stories that happen to us in everyday life every day. If you pay attention, you will surely notice that many of the events described in the parables are very similar to our everyday situations. And the question is how to respond to it. The parable teaches to look at things soberly and act wisely, without excessive emotionality.
At first glance, it may seem that the parable does not carry any useful information, But this is only at first glance. If you didn't like the parable, it seemed incomprehensible, stupid or meaningless - this does not mean that the parable is bad. It's just that you may not be prepared enough to understand this parable. Rereading parables, each time you can find something new in them.
The parables collected in this book came to us from the East - there people gathered in tea rooms and listened to the storytellers over a cup of coffee or tea.
Truth of the life
Three important questions
The ruler of one country strove for all wisdom. Rumors reached him once that there was a certain hermit who knew the answers to all questions. The ruler came to him and sees: a decrepit old man, digging a garden bed. 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 all the others.
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 with blood.
The ruler stopped him, comforted him with a kind word, brought water from the stream, washed and bandaged the traveler's wounds. Then he took him to the hermit's hut, put him to bed.
The next morning he looks - the hermit is sowing the garden.
“Hermit,” the ruler pleaded, “won’t you answer my questions?”
“You already answered them yourself,” 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 were digging the garden, 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 became the most important person for you, and helping him became 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 that you do to him.
“Now I can answer my third question: what day in a person’s life is more important than the rest,” the ruler said. “The most important day is today.
Most valuable
One person in childhood was very friendly with an 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 to remember the past, or even to be with loved ones.
Once he learned that a neighbor had died - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the boy's deceased father. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.
In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the empty house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago ...
Here are just a small golden box, in which, according to the old man, was kept the most valuable thing for him, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of her few relatives had taken her, the man left the house.
However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing the neighbor's name on it, the man shuddered and opened the package.
Inside was the same golden box. It contained a gold pocket watch engraved with "Thank you for the time you spent with me."
And he realized that 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 is slipping away from us every second. And it needs to be spent right now.
Life as it is
I will tell you a parable: in ancient times, a heartbroken woman came to Gautam Buddha who had lost her son. And she began to pray to the Almighty to return her child. And Buddha ordered the woman to return to the village and collect a mustard seed from each family, in which at least one of its members would not be burned on a funeral pyre. And going around her village and many others, the poor fellow did not find a single 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 into oblivion, 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 flew up to the flame, returned and said:
- The fire is shining.
Another flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said:
- He's stinging!
The third, flying very close, disappeared in the fire and did not return. She learned what she wanted to know, but was no longer able to tell the rest about it.
The one who has received knowledge is deprived of the opportunity to speak about it, therefore the one who knows is silent, and the one who speaks does not know.
understand fate
Chuang Tzu's wife died, and Hui Tzu came to mourn her. Chuang Tzu squatted down and sang songs, hitting his pelvis. Hui Tzu said:
“Not mourning the deceased, who lived with you to old age and raised your children, is too much. But singing songs while hitting the pelvis is simply no good!
“You are wrong,” Chuang Tzu replied. “When she died, could I not be sad at first? Grieving, I began to think about what she was in the beginning, when she was not yet born. And not only was she not born, but she was not yet a body. And not only was it not a body, but it 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 changed and she became the body. The body changed and she was born. Now a new transformation has come - and she is dead. All this changed each other, as the four seasons alternate. Man is buried in the abyss of transformations, 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 correct. And it's easy to prove it.
For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but no appetite; medicines, but not health; servants, but not friends; women, but not love; dwelling, but not the hearth; entertainment, but not joy; education, but not the mind.
And what is mentioned does not exhaust the list.
Walk straight!
There was once a woodcutter who was in a very distressed situation. He subsisted on the paltry amounts of money earned from firewood, which he brought to the city on himself from the nearest forest.
One day a sannyasin passing along the road saw him at work and advised him to go further into the forest, saying:
- Go ahead, go ahead!
The woodcutter heeded the advice, went into the forest and went on until he came to a sandalwood tree. He was very pleased with this find, cut down the tree and, taking with him as many pieces of it as he could carry, he 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 ahead.
The next day, reaching a felled tree, he went further and found copper deposits. He took with him as much copper as he could carry, and by selling it in the bazaar he made even more money.
The next day he found gold, then diamonds, and finally acquired great wealth.
This is precisely the position of a person who strives for true knowledge: if he does not stop in his movement after he reaches some paranormal powers, 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 bizarre dance, slowly approaching the ground.
Two snowflakes flying side by side decided to start a conversation. Afraid of losing each other, they joined hands, and one of them cheerfully says:
- How good it is to fly, enjoy the flight!
“We don’t fly, we just fall,” the second answered sadly.
- Soon we will meet the ground and turn into a white fluffy blanket!
- No, we are flying towards death, and on the ground they will simply trample us.
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 to her.
Finally they got tired of arguing. They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate that she herself chose.
great good
A rich man asked a Zen master to write something good and encouraging, something that would bring great benefit to his whole family. “It must be something that every member of our family thinks about in relation to others,” said the rich man.
He gave a large piece of snow-white expensive paper, on which the master wrote: “The father will die, the son will die, the 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 would bring joy and prosperity to my family. Why did you write something that upsets me?
“If your son dies before you,” the master replied, “it will be an irreparable loss for your entire family. If the grandson dies before your son dies, it will be a great sorrow for everyone. But if your entire family, generation after generation, dies on the same day, it will be a real gift of fate. This will be a great happiness and benefit for your entire family.”
Heaven and Hell
There lived one person. And he spent most of his life trying to figure out the difference between hell and heaven. He pondered this subject day and night.
Then one day he had a strange dream. He went to hell. And he sees people there who are sitting in front of cauldrons of food. And everyone has a big spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But these people look hungry, thin and emaciated. 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, I'll show you 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 everyone has a big spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But they look full, satisfied and happy. When we looked closely, we saw that they were feeding each other. Man should go to man with kindness - that's paradise.
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 came to a beautiful castle that stood on the top of a mountain. There lived the sage he was looking for.
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 delicious dishes of the area. The sage talked to different people, and the young man had to wait for his turn for about two hours.
The sage listened attentively to the young man's explanations about the purpose of his visit, but said in response that he did not have time to reveal to him the secret of happiness. And he invited him to take a walk around the palace and come back in two hours.
“However, I want to ask for one favor,” added the sage, holding out a small spoon to the young man, into which he dropped two drops of oil:
- While walking, hold this spoon in your hand so that the oil does not spill out.
The young man began to go up and down the palace stairs, keeping his eyes on the spoon. Two hours later he again came to the sage
- Well, how? he asked. Have you seen the Persian carpets that are in my dining room? Have you seen the park chief gardener created over ten years? Have you noticed the beautiful parchments in my library?
The young man, embarrassed, had to confess that he had not seen anything. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the Sage had entrusted to him.
“Well, come back and get acquainted with the wonders of my universe,” the Sage told him. “You can't trust a man if you don't know the house he lives in.
Reassured, the young man took the 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, the most delicate flowers, the delicacy with which each piece of art was placed exactly where it needed to be. Returning to the sage, he described in detail everything he saw.
“Where are those two drops of oil that I entrusted you with?” the sage asked.
And the young man, looking at the spoon, found that the oil had spilled out.
“That is the only advice I can give you: the secret of happiness is to look at all the wonders of the world, never forgetting two drops of oil in a spoon.
Sermon
One day the mullah decided to address the believers. But a young groom came to listen to him. Mulla thought to himself, "Should I speak or not?" And he decided to ask the groom:
“There is no one here but you, do you think I should speak or not?”
The groom replied:
“Sir, I am a simple man, I don’t understand anything about this. But when I come to the stable and see that all the horses have fled, and only one is left, I still give her food.
Mulla, taking these words to heart, began his sermon. He talked for more than two hours, and when he finished, he felt relieved 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 only one is left, I will feed her anyway. But I will not give her all the food that is intended for all horses.
Parable about positive thinking
Once an old Chinese teacher said to his student:
“Please take a good look around this room and try to notice everything in it that has a brown color.
The young man looked around. There were a lot of brown things in the room: wooden picture frames, a sofa, a curtain rod, desks, book bindings, and a host of other little things.
“Now close your eyes and list all the objects ... blue,” the teacher asked.
The young man was confused:
But I didn't notice anything!
Then the teacher said:
- Open your eyes. Just look how many blue things are here.
It was true: the blue vase, the blue photo frames, the blue carpet, the old teacher's blue shirt.
And the teacher said:
“Look at all those missing items!”
The student replied:
"But it's a trick!" After all, at your direction, I was looking for brown, not blue objects.
Master sighed softly and then smiled, “That's exactly what I wanted to show you. You searched and found only brown. The same thing happens to you in life. You seek and find only the bad and miss the good.
I have always been taught to expect the worst and you will never be disappointed. And if the worst doesn't happen, then I'm in for a pleasant surprise. And if I always hope for the best, then I will only expose myself to the risk of disappointment.
We should not lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. If you expect the worst, then you will definitely get it. And vice versa.
One can find a point of view from which each experience will have a positive meaning. From now on, you will look for something positive in everything and everyone.
How to reach the goal?
A great archery master named Drona taught his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what they saw.
One said:
I see a tree and a target on it.
Another said:
“I see a tree, a rising sun, birds in the sky…
All the rest answered in much the same way.
Then Drona approached his best student Arjuna and asked:
– 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, there lived a poor man called Ali Hafed.
Once a Buddhist priest came to him and told him how the world was created: “Once upon a time, the earth was a continuous fog. And then the Almighty extended his fingers to the fog, and it turned into a ball of fire. And this ball rushed through the universe until the rain fell on the earth 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 down the surface of the earth cooled quickly, it turned into granite. If it cooled slowly, it became copper, silver or gold. And after gold, diamonds were created.
“A diamond,” said the sage Ali Hafedu, “is a frozen drop of sunlight. If you had a diamond the size of thumb hands,” continued the priest, “then you could buy the whole district. But if you owned diamond deposits, you could put all your children on the throne, and all this thanks to huge wealth.
Ali Hafed learned everything there was to know about diamonds that evening. But he went to bed, as always, a poor man. He lost nothing, but he was poor because he was not satisfied, and he was not satisfied because he was afraid that he was poor.
Ali Hafed did not close his eyes all night. He only thought about diamond deposits.
Early in the morning, he woke up an old Buddhist priest and begged him to tell him where to find the diamonds. The priest at first disagreed. But Ali Hafed was so insistent that the old man finally said:
- OK then. You must find a river that flows in white sands among 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 to look for diamonds. He went further and further, but could not find the treasure. In desperation, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.
One day, the 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 sparkle coming from the white sand from the bottom of the stream. He put 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 the 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 towards him, he exclaimed:
- It's a diamond! Ali Hafed is back?
“No,” replied Ali Hafed's successor. Ali Hafed hasn't returned. And this is a simple stone that I found in my stream.
- You're wrong! the priest exclaimed. “I recognize a diamond from a thousand other gems. I swear on all saints, it's a diamond!
And then they went into the garden and dug up 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 there.
And they saw god
One day it happened that three saints were walking together through the forest. All their lives they worked selflessly: one was a follower of the path of devotion, love and prayer. The other is the paths of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence. The third is action, service, duty.
Despite the fact that they were selfless seekers, they did not achieve the desired results, they did not know God.
But that day a miracle happened!
Suddenly it began to rain, they ran to a small chapel, squeezed inside and pressed against each other. And the moment they touched each other, they felt that they were no longer three. Startled in surprise, they looked at each other.
A higher presence was clearly felt. Gradually it became more and more visible and radiant. It was such an ecstasy to see the divine light!
They fell to their knees and prayed:
“God, why did you suddenly come? We have worked all our lives, but we have not been honored with such an honor - to see You, why did this suddenly happen today?
And God said:
“Because today you are all here together. Touching each other, you became one and therefore saw me. I have always been with each of you, but you could not manifest me because you were only fragments. In unity comes a miracle.
