Traditional cultures the world over taught Life Lessons through Story. A Persian story about the ‘wise-fool’, Mullah Nasruddin - and a similar version, set in Greece, with Socrates as the Teacher - goes this way:Nasruddin used to sit beside the gates leading in and out of the city, observing the flow of people. Once, a stranger came up to him and said, “I am thinking of moving to this city; could you tell me what kind of people live here?”
The Mullah asked him, “What kind of people live in the city that you come from?”
“Oh, they are terrible!” he answered. “They lie, cheat and steal. That is why I want to get out of there.”
Nasruddin exclaimed, “Why, that’s exactly how the people are here! You’d better not move here; go on, keep searching.”
Some days later, another person came to him to ask, “Sir, I would like to see and learn more about other parts of the country, and maybe move, but first could you tell me what kind of people live here?”
Nasruddin asked this man too about the people back home. “Oh, they are good people, kind and courteous, and usually help each other.”
The Teacher responded: “It is the same here. Go into to the city and explore it, you will find it is just as you imagine it should be.”
All spiritual Traditions want to awaken us to what the laws of Karma or Retribution, or the Golden Rule teach us in different ways: we create our own reality. We do this first through our perceptions, thoughts and intentions, then our decisions and actions – and the consequences of these.
As Parker Palmer, a thought-provoking writer and educationist points out, all Traditional cultures ask two related questions that help keep us awake to our own roles in this ‘creation’:
~ What are we sending from within ourselves out into the world, and what impact is it having ‘out there’?
~ What is the world sending back at us, and what impact is it having ‘in here’?
Traditional cultures used story, rather than sermons to illustrate this important learning through memorable and beautiful Teaching Stories, such as this one from India:
Lord Krishna summoned King Duryodana, renowned for his power and might. While his subjects lived in plenty, they lived in great fear of his displeasure and punishment too.
Lord Krishna told him: "I want you to travel the world over and find and bring back to me one truly good man." Answering "Yes, Lord," he immediately set out on his search.
He traveled far, meeting and talking to many people, finding out about their lives, values and actions, and after a long time, returned to Krishna saying, "Lord, I have diligently searched the world over for one truly good man. At heart they are mostly selfish and wicked. Sadly, nowhere could I find this truly good man you seek!"
Lord Krishna then sent for another king, Dhammaraja, well known for his wisdom and benevolence, and much loved by all his people.
Krishna said to him, “Dhammaraja, I want you to travel the world over to find and bring to me one truly evil man." Dhammaraja also set out at once, and on his travels far and wide, he too met with and spoke to many thousands of people.
After much time had passed, he returned to Krishna. "Lord, I have failed you. I found people who are misguided, who perceive things incompletely, who act blindly, but nowhere could I find one truly evil man. They are all good at heart despite their failings!"
May you find what you are looking for!
Marguerite Theophil
The language of logical arguments, of proofs,
is the language of the limited self we know and can manipulate.
But the language of parable and poetry, of storytelling,
moves from the imprisoned language of the provable
into the freed language of what I must, for lack of another word,
continue to call faith.
~ Madeleine L'Engle
is the language of the limited self we know and can manipulate.
But the language of parable and poetry, of storytelling,
moves from the imprisoned language of the provable
into the freed language of what I must, for lack of another word,
continue to call faith.
~ Madeleine L'Engle
