The Rhino

A young keen student went to a wise teacher in China and asked:

"Esteemed Teacher, please show me how can I achieve enlightenment?"

"Climb to the top of that mountain," said the wise teacher. "And pray.

But whatever happens doesn’t think about the rhino!"

"What's a rhino?" asked the baffled would be student, for he wasn't very bright.

"Oh, it is a big animal with a formidable horn on its' nose," said the clever teacher.

"But you shouldn't worry because we are in China and it lives in Africa thousands of kilometers away."

So the student climbed the mountain settled down and tried to pray. But all he could think of was the rhino.

So often unfounded fears keep our mind of the important things in life…

 

 

 

 

Witty, Softie and Sweetie

One day Granny went in the woods to gather some wild pears. At this time of the year the pears were sweet and soft, but was her decision wise?
Anyway Granny climbed the pear tree and started picking up the pears and stuffing them in her basket. Suddenly a hairy, scary bear appeared as if from nowhere and roared hungrily:
“Climb down Granny, for I am hungry and will eat you for dinner!” “No don’t do that, dear bear!” said Granny. “I am old and bony and chewy. You wouldn’t enjoy eating me for dinner”
“But I am hungry,” said the disappointed bear. “And there is nothing around that I can eat!”
“Do you see that house on the hill?” asked Granny cunningly.
“Yes,” replied the puzzled bear.
“That’s my house,” replied Granny. “I have three daughters Softie, Sweetie and Witty. They are young and scrumptious. Let me go now and come at dusk. I will give you one of my daughters for your dinner.”
“OK, that sounds kind of fair,” said the bear reluctantly and withdrew in the forest.
Granny climbed down clumsily from the pear tree and hurriedly rushed to her house on the hill.
At dusk the bear came and banged on the door.
“Granny, give me Softie!” demanded the hungry beast.
“Softie has made her soft bed and is deep asleep,” answered the clever Granny.
“Granny, give me Sweetie,” roared the bear.
“Sweetie is sleeping sweetly too,” too replied Granny with a smile.
“Granny, give me at least: Witty,” asked the bear, desperately.
“Witty is my wise one. She taught me to lock the door and not to go for pears in the woods.

 

 The Angel of Desire
(an ancient folktale from Bulgaria)

Once upon a time, in a happy kingdom was born the most beautiful princess in the world. When she grew up she fell in love with a handsome young man and they promised to marry each other. This couple was so dear to God that an angel was sent to honor their wedding.
The princess was so beautiful that the angel too fell in love with her. That made God sad and instantly the angel was turned into a beautiful bird which sang beautifully but everyone avoided the poor thing.
The angel couldn’t understand the reason for that suffering. One day as the angel-bird perched on a big tree standing on a hill in the middle of a field and lamented its fate four criminals came under the tree to divide their loot. Then they decided to send two of them to buy some food and drink to have a feast. As they were coming back from the city the two criminals decided to put poison in the food so they can divide the loot of the other two criminals between themselves. Coincidentally the other two criminals decided to kill the food bearing crooks and grab their loot too. So they shot them. After that they ate the food and drank the wine and died in pain soon after that.
That’s when the angel understood the consequences of improper, illegal desires. They bring suffering, sorrow and death. God sent us to this Earth to live by the law of this freedom.

 

The Greek Philosopher

Once upon a time, there was a Greek Philosopher. He wanted to study the world.
So he wandered around thinking and looking at the sky. As he was walking he fell into a hole. The angry philosopher climbed out of it and continued on his way eyes still glued to the sky, but soon he fell into another hole.
“These people,” he thought. “Can’t they see that I want to study the world? Why do they keep digging holes on my way to the truth?” No sir, if you want to find the truth, you must look in front of you not up.

 

Dreamers
One day, three farmers took their grain to the windmill up in the mountain. Tired and hungry after the journey they sat under the thick shade of an oak tree to rest and eat.
Hungry as they were, the farmers thought that the appealing roasted chicken that they have brought looks too good to share. After some  deliberation the three friends reached the following wise decision:
They will all have a nap under the cool shade and whoever dreams the most wonderful dream will have the chicken all for himself. Said and done. Heroic snoring resounded through the trees and even the birds stopped singing for a while, wandering: where did that horrible sound come from.
After a while still drowsy they started telling their dreams.
“Oh, I had the most wonderful dream!” said the first one. “I dreamt that I was on the Moon exploring mysterious places and enjoying the sight of the Earth.”
“That’s nothing!” said the second one. “I dreamt that I was in Heaven enjoying the angelic singing, heavenly flowers and feeling unexplainable happiness as if I was out of this world.”
“That’s amazing!” said the third one. “As for me, I couldn’t sleep… And when I saw that one of you is on the Moon and the other in Heaven,

I thought that you would never come back from such wonderful places. That’s why I ate the chicken myself.

 

The Walnut Tree

Long time ago, when people didn’t know many things about nature and that included how to eat walnuts, a walnut tree grew by the road. It might have been planted there by someone for the benefit of other travelers or it could have grown there by chance if you believe that anything in life can happen by chance. One day a traveler passed. He stopped by the old walnut tree to rest in its shade. Then he noticed the green fruits and tasted one of them only to spit it out in disgust with its bitterness. Some time after he had gone another traveler passed by. He too sat under the tree and noticed the tooth marks on the fruit the first one had bitten.

“This fruit must not be very tasty,” he thought. “But everything in this world has a purpose. It must be the hard heart that is to be eaten.” And he bit the hard shell but nearly broke a tooth in the process. He too walked away hungry. Next came a traveler with scholarly disposition. He studied the fruit carefully, first tasting the bitter skin, then scratching the hard shell until he came up with the idea to break the shell with a stone. That was rewarded with the tasty walnut. The scholar smiled contently: “Wisdom and patience conquer all,” he thought. Soon a businessman leading a donkey laden with his goods arrived under the tree. The scholar happily shared with him his secret.

The businessman thanked him and after they had eaten loaded the donkey with walnuts for sale. He let the scholar ride the donkey as a reward for his discovery while he himself walked and rubbed his palms in anticipation of his future profit.

They traveled in silence but soon darkness fell over the road. They were worried because there wasn’t a town or village to be seen and they were afraid to spend the night in the dark forest. Suddenly the merchant saw a faint light in the distance.

“There, he said. “I see a light!”

“But how can that faint light help us,” said the scholar. “It is so small and lonely while the forest is big, dark and threatening.”

While they were arguing the light moved closer and they saw a man carrying a lantern. That man was a philosopher who lived in a hut by a lake nearby. He took the travelers to his place to spend the night. As they entered the dark room the small lantern pushed the scary shades in the corners. Now the room looked bright and cozy.

The inventive travelers shared with him the secret of the walnut tree.

“Well done!” said the philosopher. “Tomorrow, I’ll go and pick up some of those wonderful fruits. Then I will travel all over the world and plant a walnut tree by all roads that I pass.”

“But, then who will buy the walnuts that I am trying to sell!” said the businessman, disappointed.

“Don’t worry,” answered the philosopher. “When more people taste the walnuts from the trees by the roads they will be more likely to buy them from you in the city marketplace.”

“But what will be your reward for your labor?” asked the businessman.

“And how exactly do you plan to do it?” asked the scholar. “I mean how many walnuts will you start with and where you will plant them. Where you will start your journey will you go East, West, North or South?”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know,” answered the philosopher. “But as the light from my lantern is just enough for us to see the immediate road in front of us my initial intention and desire will carry me perhaps to the next step on my way towards my humble goal. And if I meet someone else with a lantern then together we will be able to see further.”

Thus they spent the night chatting leisurely until the sun rose over the dark forest and they went each on their way to find their own happiness.

 

The Most Beautiful Children

One day Mama Parrot was flying trough the forest all worried, carrying a parcel in her hook-like beak. She was in such a hurry that she nearly bumped into Mama Crow, who too was carrying a parcel in her strong black beak.
"Watch where you are going!" said the frightened Mama Parrot.
"And where are you going? What's the rush?" asked Mama Crow.
"Oh, I am so sorry," said Mama Parrot. "I forgot to prepare lunch for my dear children this morning and now I must hurry to the forest school."
"Ha, ha. Ga, ga..." laughed Mama Crow. "I forgot to prepare lunch for my little crows too. Let's go to the school together. We can exchange latest gossip on the way."
"Oh, I would but some other time," lied the Parrot. "I am so-o busy today. Dear Crow, be an angel, please, take the lunch to my children. You will go to the school anyway!?"
"Yes, why not," said the good-natured Mama Crow. "But how will I recognize your children?"
"That will be the easiest part," smiled Mama Parrot confidently. "Just look for the best looking birds in the forest school, those would be my children."
Mama Crow, shook her head in disbelief and reluctantly picked Mama Parrot's lunch pack.

The next morning one furious Mama Parrot flew into Mama Crows kitchen and angrily asked:
"Why didn't you give the lunch to my children. What did you do with the parcel I gave you? My cute little parrots flew home crying bitterly and very hungry."
"But," said Mama Crow defensively. "I did just what you said. I went to the school gave the lunch box to my crows and looked around for the most beautiful little birds to give them the package you gave me and as I couldn't find any children better-looking than mine I gave them the other lunch box too..."

 

 

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