A short parable about birds. Parable of the Birds

PARABLE ABOUT THE BIRD

Once a certain merchant bought a cage with a beautiful bird from a bird catcher. The bird was amazingly beautiful and was very expensive. And suddenly on the way the bird says to the merchant:
- I will give you three wise pieces of advice and increase your wealth.

The first piece of advice is that when a person misses a good thing, there is no need to regret or be sad about it.

Second advice: if someone performs a miracle, do not rush to believe in it. The world is full of illusions and those who know how to create them.

You have noticed what an extraordinary bird I am. So, if I find myself on a tree branch, the leaves will turn into emeralds, and the branch will turn golden. And you will become the owner of original jewelry.

The merchant's eyes lit up with a greedy fire. He immediately released the bird, fortunately there was a luxurious tree nearby, near the road.
The released bird flew higher and chirped:
- Well, what a fool you are!!! You believed a miracle.
But where has it been seen that a tree turns into gold, and leaves into precious stones? Yes, if it were possible, the bird catcher would never sell me to you.

And now, despite my advice, you will begin to lament and regret that you missed me.
This means that my advice did not benefit you. And here is the third instruction: greed and wisdom are incompatible.
With these words the bird flew away.
…………….

And here is a poetic version of this parable.

A Tale of Stupidity

There lived a bird in the wild,
Yes, suddenly I got into the network.
And the hunter says:
- You must die!
- Have mercy! - asks the bird. -
I'm as tall as a fingernail
Just a ball of fluff,
Yes, a mouthful of meat.

Let me go free
You will be satisfied yourself.
Three good lessons
I'll give it to you for that.

The hunter was surprised:
- You are a bird of a feather.
What kind of person
Can you give a lesson?

But if you add
You make me a little crazy
I'll set you free.
Fly on a long journey!

Let's begin, said the bird.
Remember my advice:
There is no need to regret it
Which is no longer the case.

The hunter said: - True.
Your advice is sound.
There is no need to regret it
Which is no longer the case.

Then, - the bird chirps, -
Don't spoil the blood
Trying in vain
Bring back the past again.

The hunter said: “That’s right.”
Don't spoil the blood
Trying in vain
Bring back the past again.

The bird chirps: - Listen
My last advice:
Don't believe idle nonsense.
There are no miracles in the world. -

The hunter said: - Smart.
I'll remember your advice.
Don't believe nonsense.
There are no miracles in the world.

Thanks for the science.
Bon Voyage.
Yes, in the net to the bird catcher
Don't get stuck again!

The bird fluttered onto a branch
She said: - Fool!
I deceived you
And you're in trouble.

Extraction is expensive
It flew into your network.
Because of me, hunter,
You could get rich.

Hidden in my belly
Catcher Reward:
Diamond is twice as big
Chicken egg!

The hunter almost cries.
Mumbling: - How can that be!
Untold wealth
I missed it, you fool!..

What do you think of when you hear the word "parable"? Many of you think that parables are very difficult to understand, they have a strong philosophical meaning, you need to think a lot to delve into the text in order to understand the essence of the parable. Others, on the contrary, like to learn something useful and kind. By reading wise parables, we can become aware of the smallest aspects of our lives. Learn to get along with people, understand each other and change for the better. Therefore, in this post we have collected the most instructive short parables that make us think about the future, life and relationships between people. For each parable, we have selected an illustration or picture to make it easier for you to understand what we are talking about. These short stories will definitely help in any life situation.

Parable about happiness: The tearful old woman

One old woman cried all the time. The reason was that her eldest daughter married an umbrella seller, and her youngest daughter married a noodle seller. When the old woman saw that the weather was good and the day would be sunny, she began to cry and thought:
"Terrible! The sun is so huge and the weather is so good, no one will buy an umbrella from my daughter in the store for the rain! How to be?" So she thought and involuntarily began to groan and lament. If the weather was bad and it was raining. then she cried again, this time because of her youngest daughter: “My daughter sells noodles, if the noodles don’t dry in the sun, they won’t sell them. How to be?"
And so she grieved every day in any weather: either because of her eldest daughter, or because of her youngest. The neighbors could not console her and mocked her with the nickname “tearful old woman.”
One day she met a monk who asked her why she was crying. Then the woman laid out all her sorrows, and the monk laughed loudly and said:
- Madam, don’t kill yourself like that! I will teach you the Path of Liberation, and you will cry no more. The “tearful old woman” became extremely happy and began to ask what kind of method this was.
The monk said:
- Everything is very simple. Just change your way of thinking - when the weather is good and the sun is shining, don’t think about the eldest daughter’s umbrellas, but think about the younger daughter’s noodles: “How the sun shines! The youngest daughter’s noodles will dry well, and the trade will be successful.”
When it rains, think about your eldest daughter’s umbrellas: “Now it’s raining!” My daughter’s umbrellas will probably sell very well.”
After listening to the monk, the old woman suddenly received her sight and began to do as the monk said. From that time on, not only did she not cry anymore, but she was cheerful all the time, so that from a “tearful” old woman she turned into a “cheerful” one.

Parable about work: Burning desire

One day a student asked the Teacher: “Teacher, tell me what to do: I never have enough time for anything!” I'm torn between several things and as a result I don't do any of them well enough..."
- Does this happen often? - the Teacher asked.
“Yes,” said the student, “it seems to me that much more often than my colleagues.”
- Tell me, do you have time to go to the toilet in these cases?
The student was surprised:
- Well, yes, of course, but why did you ask about this?
- What will happen if you don’t go?
The student hesitated:
- Well, how do you mean “you’re not going”? This is a need!…
- Yeah! - exclaimed the Teacher. - So, when there is a desire and it is really great, you still find time for it...

Parable: Father, son and donkey

One day, a father with his son and a donkey were traveling through the dusty streets of the city in the midday heat. The father sat astride a donkey, and his son led him by the bridle.
“Poor boy,” said a passerby, “his little legs can barely keep up with the donkey.” How can you lazily sit on a donkey when you see that the boy is completely exhausted?
His father took his words to heart. When they turned the corner, he got off the donkey and told his son to sit on it.
Very soon they met another person. In a loud voice he said:
- Shame on you! The little one sits on a donkey like a sultan, and his poor old father runs behind him.
The boy was very upset by these words and asked his father to sit on the donkey behind him.
- Good people, have you seen anything like this anywhere? - the woman cried. - Torture an animal like that! The poor donkey's back is already sagging, and the old and young idlers are sitting on it as if it were a sofa, oh unfortunate creature!
Without saying a word, father and son, shamed, got off the donkey. They had barely taken a few steps when the man they met began to mock them:
“Why is it that your donkey doesn’t do anything, doesn’t bring any benefit, and doesn’t even carry any of you?”
The father gave the donkey a handful of straw and put his hand on his son's shoulder.
“No matter what we do,” he said, “there will definitely be someone who will disagree with us.” I think we should decide for ourselves how we travel.

A parable about love and anger

Once the Teacher asked his students:
- Why, when people quarrel, do they shout?
“Because they are losing their calm,” said one.
- But why shout if the other person is next to you? - asked the Teacher. - Can't you talk to him quietly? Why shout if you're angry?
The students offered their answers, but none of them satisfied the Teacher.
Finally he explained:
- When people are unhappy with each other and quarrel, their hearts move away. In order to cover this distance and hear each other, they have to shout. The angrier they get, the louder they scream.
- What happens when people fall in love? They do not shout, on the contrary, they speak quietly. 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 don’t speak, they just 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.
This happens when two loving people are nearby.

So, when you argue, do not allow your hearts to move away from each other, do not utter words that further increase the distance between you. Because a day may come when the distance becomes so great that you will not find your way back.

Motivation Parable: Elephants

One day, while passing by the elephants at the zoo, I suddenly stopped, surprised that such huge creatures as elephants were held in the zoo by a thin rope to their front leg. No chains, no cage. It was obvious that the elephants could easily free themselves from the rope with which they were tied, but for some reason, they did not.
I approached the trainer and asked him why such majestic and beautiful animals just stood there and made no attempt to free themselves. He replied: “When they were young and much smaller than they are now, we tied them with the same rope, and now that they are adults, the same rope is enough to hold them. Growing up, they believe that this rope can hold them and they do not try to escape.”
It was amazing. These animals could have gotten rid of their "shackles" at any moment, but because they believed they couldn't, they stood there forever without trying to free themselves.
Like these elephants, how many of us believe that we can't do something just because it didn't work out one day?

Parable: Past, future, present

Three wise men argued about what is more important for a person - his past, present or future. One of them said:
“My past makes me who I am.” I can do what I have learned in the past. I believe in myself because I was good at the things I did before. I like people with whom I had a good time before, or who are similar to them. I look at you now, see your smiles and wait for your objections, because we have argued more than once, and I already know that you are not used to agreeing with anything without objections.
“And it’s impossible to agree with this,” said another, “if you were right, a person would be doomed, like a spider, to sit day after day in the web of his habits.” A person is made by his future. It doesn’t matter what I know and can do now, I will learn what I need in the future. My idea of ​​what I want to be in two years is much more real than my memories of what I was two years ago, because my actions now depend not on what I was, but on what I'm going to become. I like people who are different from those I knew before. And the conversation with you is interesting because I am anticipating an exciting struggle and unexpected turns of thought here.
“You completely lost sight,” a third intervened, “that the past and future exist only in our thoughts.” The past is no more. There is no future yet. And whether you remember the past or dream about the future, you act only in the present. Only in the present can you change something in your life - neither the past nor the future is under our control. Only in the present can you be happy: memories of past happiness are sad, anticipation of future happiness is anxious.

Parable: The Believer and the House

A man died and came to God's judgment. God looked at him for a long time in bewilderment and remained thoughtfully silent. The man could not stand it and asked:
- Lord, what about my share? Why are you silent? I deserve the kingdom of heaven. I suffered! — the man declared with dignity.
“Since when,” God wondered, “suffering began to be considered a merit?”
“I wore a hair shirt and a rope,” the man frowned stubbornly. — He ate bran and dry peas, drank nothing but water, and did not touch women. I exhausted my body with fasting and prayers...
- So what? - God remarked. “I understand that you suffered, but what exactly did you suffer for?”
“For your glory,” the man answered without hesitation.
- I have a pretty good reputation! - The Lord smiled sadly. - So I starve people, force them to wear all sorts of rags and deprive them of the joys of love?
Silence hung around... God still looked at the man thoughtfully.
- So what about my share? - the man reminded himself.
“I suffered, you say,” God said quietly. - How can I explain it to you so that you understand... For example, the carpenter who was in front of you. All his life he built houses for people, in heat and cold, and sometimes went hungry, and often got himself in the wrong, and suffered through this. But he still built houses. And then he received his honestly earned wages. And it turns out that all your life you have done nothing but hit your fingers with a hammer.
God was silent for a moment...
-Where is the house? WHERE IS THE HOUSE, I ASK!!!

Parable: A Pack of Wolves and Three Hunters

In the wolf pack, the Old Leader decided to appoint a successor for himself. He approached the bravest and strongest Wolf and said:
- I'm getting old, so I appoint you as the New Leader of the pack. But you must prove that you are worthy. Therefore, take the best Wolves, go hunting and get food for the whole pack.
“Okay,” said the New Leader and left with 6 wolves to hunt.
And he was gone for a day. And he was gone that evening. And when night fell, the flock saw 7 wolves proudly carrying the food they had caught. All were targets and unharmed.
“Tell me how it all happened,” asked the Old Leader.
- Oh, that was easy. We were looking for prey, and then we saw 10 hunters coming from the hunt with prey. We attacked them, tore them to shreds, and took the spoils for ourselves.
- Well done. Tomorrow you will go again.
The next day, 6 wolves and the New Leader went hunting again. And they were gone for a day. And evening. And night. And morning.
And only during the day one emaciated wolf appeared on the horizon. It was the New Leader - covered in blood, with tattered fur, lame and barely alive.
- What's happened? - asked the Old Leader.
- We went far into the forest and searched for prey for a long time and saw three hunters coming from the hunt with prey. We attacked them, but they were stronger than us. They killed all my warriors, I somehow managed to escape.
- But how can that be?! - the Old Leader was surprised, - Yesterday you easily defeated 10 hunters, but today you couldn’t cope with three?!?!
- Yes, but yesterday it was just a group of 10 hunters, and today it was 3 best friends.

A parable about life: A simple life

The clerk, leaving the office, looked at the emperor's palace with its sparkling domes, and thought: “What a pity that I was not born into a royal family, life could have been so simple...” And he walked towards the center of the city, from where the rhythmic knocking could be heard hammer and loud screams. These workers were building a new building right on the square. One of them saw a clerk with his papers and thought: “Oh, why didn’t I go to study, as my father told me, I could now do light work and rewrite texts all day, and life would be so simple...”

And at that time the emperor approached the huge bright window in his palace and looked at the square. He saw workers, clerks, salesmen, customers, children and adults, and thought how nice it must be to be in the fresh air all day, doing manual labor, or working for someone, or even being a street vagabond, and completely do not think about politics and other complex issues.

“What a simple life these simple people must have,” he said barely audibly.

Parable of Anger: Genghis Khan's Falcon

One morning Genghis Khan and his retinue went hunting. His companions armed themselves with bows and arrows, and he himself held his beloved falcon in his hand. No shooter could compare with him, because the bird looked out for the victim from the sky, where a person is not able to climb.
And yet, despite the excitement that possessed the hunters, none of them got anything. Disappointed, Genghis Khan returned to his camp, and in order not to take out his bad mood on his comrades, he retired from his retinue and went alone.
He stayed too long in the forest and was exhausted from fatigue and thirst. Due to the drought that happened that year, the rivers dried up, and not a sip of water could be found anywhere, but suddenly - lo and behold! - he noticed a thin stream of water flowing from the rock. He immediately took the falcon from his hand, took out a small silver bowl that was always with him, placed it under the stream and waited for a long time until it was filled to the brim. But when he was already raising the cup to his lips, the falcon flapped its wings and knocked it out, throwing it far to the side.
Genghis Khan was furious. But still, he loved this falcon very much and also understood that the bird was probably thirsty too. He picked up the bowl, wiped it and put it under the stream again. Before it was even half full, the falcon knocked it out of his hands again.
Genghis Khan adored the bird, but he could not allow himself to be treated with such disrespect. He drew his sword, and with his other hand he lifted the cup and placed it under the stream, with one eye watching the water and the other the falcon. When there was enough water to quench his thirst, the falcon flapped his wings again, touching the bowl, but this time he killed the bird with his sword.
And then the trickle dried up. Determined to get to the source at any cost, he began to climb the rock. He found it surprisingly quickly, but in it, right in the water, lay a dead snake - the most poisonous of all the snakes living in those places. If he had drunk the water, he would not have lived.
Genghis Khan returned to the camp with the dead chip in his hands and ordered his statue to be made from pure gold, engraving on one wing:
“Even when your friend does things you don’t like, he remains your friend.”
On the other wing he ordered to write:
“What is done in anger does not lead to good.”

Parable: Buddha and the villagers

A wise parable about insults and how to respond to them:
One day, Buddha and his disciples walked past a village in which opponents of Buddhism lived. Residents poured out of their houses, surrounded them and began to insult them. The Buddha's disciples became angry and were ready to fight back. After a pause, the Buddha spoke, and his speech confused not only the villagers, but also the disciples.
First he addressed his disciples:
- These people are doing their job. They are angry, it seems to them that I am the enemy of their religion, their moral principles. So they insult me, and this is natural. But why are you suddenly angry? Why do you have this reaction? You behaved as these people expected, and thereby allowed them to manipulate you. If so, it means you are dependent on them. But aren't you free?
The people from the village also did not expect such a reaction. They fell silent. In the silence that followed, Buddha addressed them:
-Have you said everything? If you haven't spoken out yet, you'll have the opportunity when we head back.
The puzzled villagers asked:
- But we insulted you, why aren’t you even angry with us?
Buddha replied:
- You are free people, and what you did is your right. I don't react to this. Therefore, no one and nothing can force me to react the way he wants, no one can influence me and manipulate me. My actions flow from my inner state, from my awareness. And I would like to ask you a question that concerns you. In the previous village, people greeted me with treats. I told them: “Thank you, we have already had breakfast, take these fruits and sweets with my blessing for yourself. We cannot carry them with us because we do not carry food with us.” And now I ask you: What do you think they did with what I did not accept and returned to them?
One person from the crowd said:
“They must have taken those fruits and sweets back and distributed them to their children and families.”
“And today I do not accept your insults and curses,” said the Buddha. I'm returning them to you. What will you do with them? Take them with you and do whatever you want with them.

Parable of Love: Woman and Bird

Once upon a time there was a bird. A bird with strong wings and sparkling multi-colored plumage. A creature created to fly freely in the skies, born to delight the heads of those who watch her from the ground.
One day a woman saw her and fell in love. Her heart was pounding, her eyes sparkled with excitement as, with her mouth open in amazement, she watched this bird fly. And she called her to fly with her - and they set off across the blue sky in perfect harmony with each other. The woman admired the bird, revered and praised it.
But one day it occurred to her that this bird would probably someday want to fly into distant distances, to unknown mountains. And the woman was afraid - afraid that she would never be able to experience anything like this with another bird. And she was jealous - she was jealous of the innate gift of flight.
And I was also afraid of loneliness.
And I thought: “Let me set a snare. Next time the bird will fly, but it won’t be able to fly away.”
And the bird, which also loved this woman, flew in the next day, fell into a snare, and then was put in a cage.
All day long the woman admired the bird, showed the object of her passion to her friends, and they said: “Now you have everything.” But strange things began to happen in the soul of this woman: she got the bird, there was no longer a need to lure it and tame it, and little by little the interest in it faded away. The bird, having lost the opportunity to fly - and this and only this was the meaning of its existence - faded and lost its shine, became ugly, and the woman stopped paying attention to her altogether: she only made sure that there was plenty of food and that the cage was cleaned.
And one fine day the bird died. The woman was very sad, she only thought about her and remembered her day and night, but not how she languished in the cage, but how she saw her free flight under the clouds for the first time.
And if she had looked into her soul, she would have realized that she was captivated not by her beauty, but by the freedom and power of her outstretched wings.
Having lost the bird, its life and meaning were lost. And death knocked on her door. “Why did you come?” - the woman asked her.
“Then so that you can fly with your bird across the sky again,” answered death. “If you allowed her to leave you and always return, you would love her and admire her more than ever.” But now, in order for you to see her again, the matter cannot be done without me.”

Parable about the power of words

A little parable from Anthony de Mello:
Once the Master spoke about the hypnotic power of words. Someone from the back rows shouted:
- You're talking nonsense! Will you become a saint because you keep saying:
"God, God, God"? Will you become a sinner because you endlessly repeat: “Sin, Sin, Sin”?
- Sit down, bastard! - the Master snapped.
The man was overcome with rage. He burst into obscene language, and it took a long time before he came to his senses.
With an air of remorse the Master said:
- Forgive me... I got excited. I sincerely apologize for my unforgivable attack.
The student immediately calmed down.
“Here’s your answer,” summed up the Master. - From one word you became furious, from another you calmed down.

Parable: Sultan, magician and talent

An Eastern parable about talent and genius.
One magician showed his art to the Sultan and his courtiers. All the spectators were delighted. The Sultan himself was beside himself with admiration.
- My God, what a miracle, what a genius!
His vizier said:
- Your Majesty, it’s not the gods who burn the pots. The art of a magician is the result of his diligence and tireless practice.
The Sultan frowned. The vizier's words spoiled his pleasure from admiring the magician's art.
- Oh, you ungrateful one, how dare you claim that such art can be achieved through exercise? Since I said: either you have talent or you don’t, that means that’s the way it is.
Looking at his vizier with contempt, he angrily exclaimed:
- At least you don’t have one, go to the dungeon. There you can think about my words. But so that you don’t feel lonely and so that someone like you is next to you, a calf will share your company.
From the very first day of his imprisonment, the vizier began to exercise: he lifted a calf and carried it every day along the steps of the prison tower. Months passed, the calf turned into a mighty bull, and the vizier’s strength increased every day thanks to the exercises. One fine day the Sultan remembered his prisoner. He ordered the vizier to be brought to him.
When he saw him, the Sultan was amazed:
- My God! What a miracle, what a genius!
The vizier, carrying the bull in his outstretched arms, answered with the same words as before:
- Your Majesty, it is not the gods who burn the pots. You gave this animal to me out of mercy. My strength is the result of my diligence and exercise.

Parable: The Broken Precious Cup

Parable of Wrath: The Girl and the Cookies

The girl was waiting for her flight at a large airport. Her flight has been delayed and she will have to wait for the plane for several hours. She bought a book, a bag of cookies and sat in a chair to pass the time. Next to her was an empty chair with a bag of cookies on it, and on the next chair sat a man reading a magazine. She took the cookies, and the man took them too! This infuriated her, but she said nothing and continued reading. And every time she took a cookie, the man continued to take it too. She was furious, but did not want to cause a scandal in a crowded airport.
When there was only one cookie left, she thought, “I wonder what this ignoramus will do?”
As if reading her thoughts, the man took the cookie, broke it in half and handed it to her without looking up. This was the limit! She got up, collected her things and left...
Later, when she got on the plane, she reached into her purse to take out her glasses and pulled out a packet of cookies... She suddenly remembered that she had put her packet of cookies in her purse. And the man she thought was ignorant shared his cookies with her without showing an iota of anger, just out of kindness. She was so ashamed and had no opportunity to correct her guilt.
Before you get angry, think about it: maybe you are the one who is wrong!

A parable about mutual understanding: Two families

Two different families live in neighboring houses. Some quarrel all the time, while others always have silence and mutual understanding.
One day, envious of a peaceful neighbor's family, the wife says to her husband:
- Go to your neighbors and see what they do, that everything is always fine with them.
He went, hid and watched. Here he sees a woman washing the floors in the house, suddenly something distracted her, and she ran to the kitchen. At this time, her husband urgently needed to go to the house. He did not notice the bucket of water, caught it and the water spilled.
Then the wife came, apologized to her husband, and said:
- Sorry, dear, it's my fault.
- No, I'm sorry, it's my fault.
The man got upset and went home. At home my wife asks:
- Well, did you look?
- Yes!
- Well?
- Got it! We are ALL RIGHT, and they are ALL GUILTY.

Parable: A wise man and the same joke

One wise man, speaking to his audience, told them an anecdote. The entire audience shook with laughter.
A few minutes later he told people the same joke again. Only a few people smiled.
The sage told the same joke for the third time, but no one laughed.
The old wise man smiled and said: “You cannot laugh constantly at the same joke... So why do you constantly allow yourself to cry about the same thing?”

Parable about happiness: The wise man and the unhappy man

Once a sage was walking along the road, admiring the beauty of the world and enjoying life. Suddenly he noticed an unfortunate man hunched over under an unbearable burden.
- Why do you condemn yourself to such suffering? - Asked the sage.
“I suffer for the happiness of my children and grandchildren,” the man answered.
“My great-grandfather suffered all his life for the happiness of my grandfather, my grandfather suffered for the happiness of my father, my father suffered for my happiness, and I will suffer all my life, only so that my children and grandchildren become happy.”
- Was anyone happy in your family? - asked the sage.
- No, but my children and grandchildren will definitely be happy! - answered the unhappy man.
“An illiterate person cannot teach you to read, and a mole cannot raise an eagle!” - Said the sage. - First learn to be happy yourself, then you will understand how to make your children and grandchildren happy!

Parable: A boy and faith in miracles

The boy loved to read kind and clever fairy tales and believed everything that was written there. Therefore, he looked for miracles in life, but could not find anything in it that would be similar to his favorite fairy tales. Feeling somewhat disappointed in his search, he asked his mother if it was right that he believed in miracles? Or are there no miracles in life?
“My dear,” his mother answered him with love, “if you try to grow up to be a kind and good boy, then all the fairy tales in your life will come true.” Remember that they don’t look for miracles - they come to good people on their own.

Jewish parable: Moishe and the crushing shoe

Moishe comes to the rabbi and says that he wants to divorce his wife. The rabbi begins to persuade him not to do this.
- Moishe, why do you want to get a divorce, it will be worse for you.
- No, I'll feel better. Well, they argue for a long time, and finally the rabbi says:
- Listen, Moishe. Your wife is so beautiful, so pleasant, she pleases the eye, everyone dreams of her. Everyone knows her merits, but you want to leave her, why?
Moisha silently takes off her shoe and places it in front of the rabbi.
- Why are you sticking your shoe at me? - Rebbe, look at this shoe.
- Why should I look at this shoe? What does this have to do with the shoe?
- Rebbe, this is a wonderful shoe. Everyone sees how beautiful she is, how pleasant she is, how pleasing to the eye she is, everyone wants to have such a shoe, but only I know how much this bastard presses me!

Parable: The Dispute of the Disciples

One day the Teacher saw students who were passionately arguing, and everyone was sure that they were right, and it seemed that this dispute would never end. Then the Teacher said:
“When people argue because they strive for the truth, then this dispute must inevitably end, because there is only one truth, and both will eventually come to it.” When those disputing strive not for truth, but for victory, then the dispute flares up more and more, for no one can emerge victorious in a dispute without his opponent being defeated.
The students immediately fell silent and then apologized to the Teacher and each other.

Parable of the Sacrifice

The new teacher, coming to class, discovered that one boy was being teased by Moishe the Fool. During recess, he asked the guys why they called him that name.
- Yes, he really is a fool, Mr. Teacher. If you give him a large coin of five shekels and a small one of ten shekels, he will choose five because he thinks it is larger. Here, look...
The guy takes out two coins and asks Moishe to choose. He, as always, chooses five. The teacher asks in surprise:
- Why did you choose a coin of five shekels and not ten?
- Look, she’s bigger, Mr. Teacher!
After class, the teacher approached Moishe.
- Don’t you understand that five shekels is bigger only in size, but ten shekels can buy more?
- Of course I understand, Mr. Teacher.
- So why do you choose five?
- Because if I choose ten, they will stop giving me money!

Parable about life: The Master and the Waitress

Returning from the trip, the Master told about a story that happened to him, which, as he believed, could become a metaphor for life itself:
During a short stop, he headed to a cozy cafe. The menu included mouth-watering soups, spicy condiments and other tempting dishes.
The master ordered soup.
-Are you from this bus? — the venerable-looking waitress politely asked. The master nodded.
- Then there is no soup.
- What about steamed rice with curry sauce? - asked the surprised Master.
- No, if you are from this bus. You can only order sandwiches. I spent the whole morning preparing the dishes, and you have no more than ten minutes left to eat. I cannot allow you to eat a dish whose taste you cannot appreciate due to lack of time.

A parable about work: a restless youth

One high Chinese official had an only son. He grew up as a smart boy, but he was restless, and no matter what they tried to teach him, he showed no diligence in anything, and his knowledge was only superficial. He knew how to draw and play the flute, but artlessly; studied the laws, but even the scribes knew more than him.
His father, concerned about this situation, apprenticed him to a famous martial artist in order to make his son’s spirit strong, as befits a real husband. However, the young man soon got tired of repeating the monotonous movements of the same blows.
He turned to the master with the words: “Teacher!” How long can you repeat the same movement? Isn't it time for me to study real martial art, for which your school is so famous?
The master did not answer anything, but allowed him to repeat the movements after the older students, and soon the young man knew many techniques.
One day the master called the young man and handed him a scroll with a letter.
— Take this letter to your father.
The young man took the letter and went to the neighboring town where his father lived. The road to the city skirted a large meadow, in the middle of which an old man was practicing a punch. And while the young man walked around the meadow along the road, the old man tirelessly practiced the same blow.
- Hey, old man! - the young man shouted. - The air will beat you! You still won't be able to beat even a child!
The old man shouted back that he should try to defeat him first, and then laugh. The young man accepted the challenge.
Ten times he tried to attack the old man, and ten times the old man knocked him down with the same blows. A blow that he had been tirelessly practicing before. After the tenth time, the young man could no longer continue the fight.
- I could kill you with the first blow! - said the old man. - But you are still young and stupid. Go your own way.
Ashamed, the young man reached his father's house and gave him the letter. Unrolling the scroll, the father returned it to his son:
- This is for you.
In the teacher’s calligraphic handwriting it was written on it: “One strike, brought to perfection, is better than a hundred half-learned.”

Parable: Envy and lemons

My wife once sent me to the store to buy lemons. Well, the flu, you understand. And she said - buy big ones, but not rotten ones, as usual. Well, I went up to the tray with lemons and sorted through them. All crooked, rotten, thick-skinned.
I look out of the corner of my eye: there’s another tray on the right, and in it another guy is scissoring lemons. And his lemons are large, ripe, appetizing. Well, I think the guy is leaving right now - I’ll immediately pick up some lemons.
So, for the sake of appearance, I sort through the fruit, and I glance sideways at the man’s hand - waiting for him to finally take what he needs and leave. And he, the brute, keeps poking around and poking around. He waited for five minutes - and he didn’t like it, even though he had lemons to choose from. Well, I couldn’t stand it - I turn to him to say what I’m thinking about him, and on the right... a mirror.

Parable: The wise pig and manners

The wise Pig was asked:
- Why do you stand with your feet while eating?
“I love to feel food not only with my mouth, but also with my body,” answered the Wise Pig. “When, when I’m full, I feel the touch of food on my legs, I get double pleasure from it.”
- But what about the manners inherent in a decent upbringing?
- Manners are for others, but pleasure is for yourself. If the basis of pleasure comes from my nature, then pleasure itself brings benefit.
- But manners are also useful!
“When manners bring me more benefit than pleasure, I don’t put my feet in food,” the Pig answered proudly and went about her business.

A Parable about Work: Mathematician George Danzig

When the future mathematician George Danzig was still a student, the following story happened to him. George took his studies very seriously and often worked late into the night.
One day, because of this, he overslept a little and came to Professor Neumann's lecture 20 minutes late. The student quickly copied two problems from the board, thinking they were homework. The task was difficult, it took George several days to solve them, he brought the solution to the professor.
He didn't say anything, but a few weeks later he broke into George's house at six in the morning. It turned out that the student found the correct solution to two previously unsolvable mathematics problems, which he did not even suspect, since he was late for class and did not hear the preamble to the problems on the board.
In just a few days, he managed to solve not one, but two problems that mathematicians had been struggling with for a thousand years, and even Einstein could not find a solution to them.
George was not limited by the fame of these problems as insoluble, he simply did not know that it was impossible.

Parable about motivation: Get up!

One student asked his Sufi mentor:
Master, what would you say if you knew about my fall?
- Get up!
- And next time?
- Get up again!
- And how long can this continue - keep falling and rising?
- Fall and rise while you're alive! After all, the one who fell and did not rise is dead.

Parable about truth and parable

Truth used to walk the streets naked. Of course, people didn’t like this, and no one allowed her into their house. One day, when the sad Truth was wandering the streets, she met the Parable, dressed in beautiful clothes, pleasing to the eye.
The parable asked the Truth:
- Why do you walk the streets naked and so sad?
Truth sadly lowered her head and said:
- My sister, I am sinking lower and lower. I am already old and unhappy, so people move away from me.
“It cannot be,” said the Parable, “that people move away from you because you are old.” I’m also no younger than you, but the older I get, the more they find in me. I'll tell you a secret: people don't like simple, open things. They prefer things to be a little hidden and embellished. Let me lend you a few of my beautiful dresses, and you will immediately see how people will love you.
Truth accepted the advice of the Proverbs and dressed in her beautiful clothes. And here's a miracle - from that day no one ran away from her, and she was received with joy and a smile. Since then, Truth and Parable have not separated.

Self-discovery through insight exercises Hall Manley Palmer

Parable of the Birds

Parable of the Birds

Once upon a time in China there lived a great and powerful emperor who generously supported the arts and crafts. He surrounded himself with painters, sculptors and other gifted artists, who competed with each other to surprise the emperor with the outstanding achievements of their genius. One of the artisans made a golden cage, so exquisite and perfect that it had no equal among the treasures of the whole world. The cage had the appearance of a temple, its many roofs were decorated with precious stones, and inside it there were many rooms with doors and gates.

The Son of Heaven was so delighted when this magnificent work was presented to him that he immediately presented the master with a jasper award and made him a prince of the empire. Then the emperor called all his hunters and bird-catchers to him and ordered them to go out into the world with nets and catch all the most amazing and beautiful birds that would come their way.

After many adventures, which can only be compared with the most intricate stories from the Thousand and One Nights, the birdcatchers returned and appeared before the emperor. They all took turns telling about their adventures and showing the birds they managed to catch. At the end, the oldest bird catcher who went hunting presented the lord with a phoenix caught on the mountains of the moon.

The emperor ordered a cage to be installed in the garden and placed one of the rare birds in each of its rooms. Then he ordered the throne to be moved into the garden and sat for hours watching the wonderful performance.

While he sat there, surrounded by mandarins and princes, a Taoist monk knocked on the palace gate. The monk was surrounded by mystery, for he did not come along the road, but descended straight from the clouds. It was the spirit. Approaching the emperor, the monk sat down and asked him where he got the golden cage. The Emperor explained to him what had happened.

Then the old man sadly shook his head and said:

Your Highness, do not set a bad example for people. Release the birds and break the cage.

The emperor was very surprised and saddened. He asked the elder to explain his words.

“You, O Son of Heaven,” continued the monk, “are a model

righteousness for all who live in your empire. You're in charge here. Your actions are the law for residents of the entire country. What is good and what is bad is judged by your behavior. You have a great responsibility because everyone looks to you as a source of public good.

This cage, built in the form of a temple, contains a threefold secret. First of all, this is a world with many rooms, in each of which someone lives. In addition, this cage symbolizes China - an empire located in the center of the world, and you, O Emperor, and your honorable subjects are like captive birds. Their state attire is the bright plumage of birds, while you yourself are a phoenix. The chambers of your palace are prison cells, temples are cages, and your sovereign affairs are a net in which you are caught. And finally, this cell is your mortal nature, and these little feathered creatures are dreams and hopes that are captivated by your flesh. All that you know in poetry, music and art, all that is beautiful that you can understand and appreciate, is captive to your mortal consciousness.

O Emperor, release the birds to freedom, and then, by releasing them, you yourself will be freed. Never hold anyone captive. If you keep these birds in a golden cage, they will stop singing. Each of them will begin to yearn and die. Life in a cage is not worth living, and therefore whoever keeps birds in cages will sooner or later destroy them.

It was very pleasant for you to catch these birds, and now give yourself another joy, show truly royal nobility and set them free.

Having finished speaking, the old monk wrapped himself in his robe and disappeared right before the emperor's eyes. The Emperor, who had knowledge of many sciences, realized that the being who had just spoken to him was not an ordinary mortal monk in a robe, but a celestial entity, the guardian of birds. Since the monk's words were the command of heaven, the Son of Heaven could not disobey them. He ordered all the cage doors to be opened and the birds released. Then he ordered the cage to be taken far into the mountains and left there with the doors open as a monument for the birds.

Some time passed, and the birds returned to the cage and built nests in it. When the emperor was tired of his worries, he climbed the mountains, sat down next to the cage and watched for hours as the birds flew in and out through the open doors of the cage. At the end of his life, he wrote a poem that reflected the understanding that he acquired as a result of contemplating the mystery.

This parable is self-explanatory, but in reality it says much more than it might seem at first glance. We live in a world in which each of us, to one degree or another, strives to dominate. We strive to imprison life in the cage of will and thinking. We talk about luck in terms of influence. We feel great to the extent that we have something. These aspirations and impulses are completely inconsistent with the ideals of the contemplative life. However, in life, the motives for our actions are so well veiled that we begin to guess about them only after many lives lived incorrectly.

The difficulty with so-called spiritual ambitions is that they inevitably impose a certain restriction on the free flow of life. Here's a concrete example for you. Let's assume that all sincere intelligent people strive for the Truth. Everyone, for his part, strives to get closer to Reality, but each seeker consciously or unconsciously deviates from the goal.

This happens when with his ignorance he limits the very Reality that he strives to achieve.

The first disciple limits the Truth to the statement that everyone should practice yoga. The second student destroys the Truth with his opinion that one can get closer to Reality only through intensive study of chemistry. The third student limits the Truth by seeing the key to universal knowledge only in mathematics.

The fourth believes that the path to Reality lies through ascetic trials, while the fifth finds that it can only be achieved after many years of wandering around the world. The sixth destroys the Truth with the conviction that one can understand Reality only by touching sacred objects. The seventh nullifies the Truth by saying that it can be approached by studying the scriptures, while the eighth disciple believes that it cannot be understood through books.

Each of these people follows the path of his own ideas and tries to know eternity by applying his opinions to it and demanding that it be what he expects it to be. At the same time, he involuntarily begins to judge the unknown and acts in such a way that his behavior can be justified only if he is endowed with omniscience.

This does not mean that Reality should not be achieved through meditation, scripture study, mathematics or asceticism. Everyone grows according to their own understanding. Meanwhile, categorical opinions about methods of achievement dealt the same blow to philosophy as theology dealt to religion.

The doctrine of the transcendental personality suggests that the search for Reality should not be a formal exercise, but a genuine adventure in the realm of the conscious. There is no need to force your consciousness to seek the higher self. The spiritual nature of man is not like a careless schoolboy who can be forced to study. Cognition of Reality is a natural urge of the soul. We do not need to increase this urge. All that is required of us is to remove the artificial obstacles and limitations imposed on us by the physical personality.

The bird flies out of the cage when its door is open, because it is a creature born to fly. In the same way, consciousness rushes towards Reality when objective limitations are overcome.

From the book Don't Think Like a Man by Carroll Lee

Parable of the Farmer Now you see that Kryon's parables are replete with amazing revelations. Next we meet two farmers. In this parable, the figure of the farmer represents a person who is in close connection with the Earth, who is at work and in harmony with nature.

From the book Osho Library: Parables of the Old City author Rajneesh Bhagwan Shri

Parable of the Tar Pit Take a look at this short, one-paragraph parable that provides the clearest description of how a neutral implant works. In this parable, people are covered in tar from head to toe and cannot move quickly from place to place, because the tar

From the book of Proverbs by Carroll Lee

From the book Passing the Milestone. Keys to Understanding the Energy of the New Millennium by Carroll Lee

1. THE PARABLE OF THE TAR PIT Author's Note One cold November day, my wife Jen and I were invited to New York City to conduct a direct Kryon channeling session at the United Nations (UN). Society of Enlightenment and Transformation - meditation group

From the book Parables of Shou-Dao author Medvedev Alexander Nikolaevich

From the book Zen in Love and Work author Yoko Beck Charlotte

Parable of the Spiders Once the hermit’s disciples asked him to reveal to them something from the Highest Wisdom. He agreed and sent them to catch spiders. The hermit settled the caught spiders in his cave and for some time tore off all the spider webs woven vertically. Through

From the book When God Laughs (collection of stories-meditations) author Mello Anthony De

Parable about the fakir One day a merchant asked the fakir: “Why aren’t you afraid to keep a snake in your bosom?” You must be a very brave man? “You see,” the fakir answered, “there are three types of courage. The first is when the brave man does not imagine the size of the danger and therefore does not feel

From the book The Best Parables. Big Book. All countries and eras author Mishanenkova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna

The parable of the snake and the eagle An eagle fell from heaven to earth like a stone and caught the snake basking in the sun by surprise. When the eagle grabbed the snake, it did not resist and hung lifelessly in its claws. The bird, proud of its prey, flew to the nest. The snake, which previously seemed dead,

From the book of Mudra. Everything in one book. Make any wish come true author Levin Peter

The parable of the workhorse From year to year the workhorse worked hard and received shelter and miserable food for it. One day, when the horse was resting after a hard day, a weasel ran into its stall and began to make fun of it. “Look at me, you hackneyed nag, I’m agile and free.”

From the book Shadow of the Dragon. Diary of a Magician's Apprentice by Sumire Nina

PARABLE OF MUSIN Once upon a time, in a city called Nadezhda, there lived a young man whose name was Joe. Joe studied the dharma diligently and received a Buddhist name. They called him Musin. Joe lived the same way as everyone else. He went to work, he had a wonderful wife. However, despite

From the book Journey through I-Worlds by Milson Nechama

The Parable of Crutches When a village elder lost his legs as a result of an accident, he began to walk on crutches. Gradually, he learned to move quite quickly and even learned to dance and pirouette to amuse his neighbors. Then it dawned on him,

From the author's book

From the author's book

A parable about the transfer of knowledge With this, perhaps, I will finish the story about my long path to Eastern knowledge. I can only say with confidence that mudras have become not only my assistants in life, but also a real calling. For many years I practiced, collected and systematized my

Since ancient times, many peoples have used parables as a quick and effective way to educate children in basic life concepts and values. Since the parable is a short story, the child will have enough patience to listen to it to the end. And the fascinating form and interesting, understandable characters will convey to the little fidget: what is good and evil, what is love and respect for elders, as well as many other such important things.

It is very important that the parable does not condemn the negative hero, does not ridicule his shortcomings, but at the same time still points out them, so that the child understands how to act and what not to do.

The stories underlying each parable tell children in a language they understand what real life is and what difficulties they may encounter along this difficult path. And most importantly, in each parable you can find more than one way out of the current situation.

Unfortunately, many parents believe that at an early stage of development their child is not able to perceive parables as such. This opinion is wrong. You can start reading parables to a child from the cradle. Of course, at first he may not understand their true meaning, but at the subconscious level the trace will remain in any case.

Short parables for children

Already from an early age, parables contribute to the formation in a small person of the correct attitude towards the world, himself and his actions. It is also interesting that in the process of forming this relationship, the child begins to understand that you need to appreciate what you have.

Reading short parables gives children the opportunity to share joy and sadness with their heroes, and this, in turn, will teach the child empathy, compassion and mercy.

Good parables will relieve a child from anxious thoughts, develop confidence in his abilities, and help him give up manifestations of greed and bragging. Short parables can show a child in an accessible form that envy is bad, and if he wants something, then he needs to work for it and achieve his goal. Naturally, “work” at this age means good behavior, obedience, study, and so on.

At an early age, up to about six to seven years old, short parables are ideal for reading to children. It is easy for a child to perceive them, but at the same time the imagination draws colorful pictures and the vocabulary is enriched. You will very soon notice that it is becoming easier for the child to express his thoughts; he no longer rushes into fights in the yard so often, but tries to resolve conflict situations verbally.

In a short story, at first glance, there is so much deep meaning... In simple words, they demonstrate to the child that life is multifaceted, and dividing this or that event into good or bad is pointless. Having thought through any situation, you can turn it to your advantage, and by definition there are no hopeless situations.

Parables for children: read

We all know how beneficial it is to read books to children, especially parables. Let's figure out why. As you know, all psychologists and teachers unconditionally agree that reading parables to a child is simply necessary. Unlike fairy tales, which largely distort actual reality by the fact that their heroes are talking animals, and often completely fictitious creatures, parables convey reality as correctly as possible, their heroes are very real people, we can observe their actions every day in our own lives. life too. In addition, many teachers believe that reading parables is appropriate even at the level of intrauterine development; perhaps this is a myth, but this practice will not bring anything bad.

Along with the already mentioned beneficial effects, reading parables to children can bring into our lives:

• Harmony in relationships with your beloved child. Think and answer honestly the question: “How much time do I devote to the inner world of my child?” Unfortunately, the frantic pace of life, when we are forced to work hard in order to provide a decent standard of living for ourselves and our family, rarely allows us
• have a heart-to-heart talk with your child. Often we are deprived of the opportunity to tell the child what is good and what is bad, to analyze and draw conclusions from the situation that happened in the kindergarten, in the yard, at school, and so on. All communication between modern parents and their children comes down to going to the store together to buy the next toy. Thus, many fathers and mothers calm their conscience and mistakenly believe that this is enough. But the family tradition of reading parables together in the evenings will give you much more.
• The child calms down and receives answers to his questions. You should not think that a small child is deprived of experiences; on the contrary, he is at that age when there is confusion in his soul, and his mind is constantly working, trying to independently comprehend the secrets of the universe, naturally at a more primitive level than what happens in an adult. Help your baby! Read short parables to him, give him answers and food for further thought.
• The child's intelligence develops. Read short parables to the little man more often at night; before bedtime, his state is relaxed, he is calm and information is perceived best. Together with your child, try to discuss what you read, listen carefully to his opinion. Please note that the language of the parables is simple and understandable; soon your baby will speak at this level too! And you will only be surprised at how reasonable he is and that he talks like an adult.
• Instilling in a child a love of reading. Again, in contrast to fairy tales, parables tell the story of the lives of adults. Therefore, it is more interesting for children to read them rather than fairy tales. The love of reading can hardly be overestimated; moreover, it takes children away from the TV, tablet and other “flaws” of the modern century. Don’t waste time, read parables to children while they are at an early age, then it may be too late, since the child will be influenced by high technology, books will be abandoned, values ​​will be distorted, and you will not be able to do anything.
• Development in the child of imagination, analytical thinking and the ability to overcome situations with dignity, even the most difficult ones. Using the example of the main characters, the parable tells kids how to behave with friends and older people, as well as how to look for ways to resolve controversial issues. This is how a model of relationships and behavior with different people is formed in the child’s mind, and he begins to understand the limits of what is permitted.

Wise parables for children

No matter how trivial it may sound, the parables contain age-old wisdom that has been accumulated for more than one generation. Not many of us are able to choose words and convey the meaning of this or that edification as briefly and accurately.

Wise parables will show a child the true meaning and value of life, teach that good deeds towards other people are beneficial, and most of all, to himself. Oddly enough, children are better disposed to such perception than any adult, probably because their minds and consciousness are not yet clogged with the ideas of modern society.

Instructive parables for children

Instructive parables will demonstrate to the young explorer of the universe that everything secret will definitely become clear and that evil will definitely be punished.

The child will learn to look at his actions through the eyes of another person, as if from the outside. Over time, he will understand that before committing any act, he needs to think about whether it will harm his comrade or just a random passerby. In addition, the parable will help the child realize that some of his desires need to be relegated to the background, and some should be completely feared and fought against.

Of course, whether to read parables or fairy tales to your little one is up to you to decide. However, even at an early age, it is worth trying several ways of communicating with a child in order to help him get comfortable in a world full of contradictions, false judgments and vanity.