Once there lived a poor peasant. He lived with his young son in the settlements, and he had one horse, on which he plowed his field. This horse was magnificent - so much so that one day, when the emperor rode by, he offered the peasant a considerable sum for it. But the peasant refused to sell it, That same night the horse galloped away.

The next morning, the villagers gathered around our hero, who said:

Horrible! How unlucky you are! Now you have neither a horse nor the emperor's money!

The peasant replied:

Maybe it's bad, maybe not. I only know that my horse galloped off and I didn't get any money from the emperor.

Several days passed, and one morning the magnificent white horse returned, bringing with him six other beautiful but wild horses, one better than the other, especially if they were ridden and trained.

The villagers gathered again and said:

That's lovely! How lucky you are! You will soon become very rich!

The peasant replied:

Maybe that's good, maybe not. All I know is that my horse has returned with six other horses.

Shortly after the return of the horse, our peasant's son fell from one of these wild horses and broke both legs.

The villagers gathered again, and this is what they said this time:

What grief! You yourself will never ride these horses, and now no one will be able to help you with the harvest, you will go bankrupt, and maybe even starve.

The peasant replied:

Maybe it's bad, maybe not. All I know is that my son fell off his horse and broke both legs.

The emperor returned to the village the next day. Now he was leading his warriors into a fierce battle with the army of a neighboring country, he needed new soldiers, most of whom were destined to die. Because of his fractures, no one paid attention to the son of our peasant.

This time the villagers, who were overwhelmed with a sense of grief from the loss of their own sons, ran to our hero with the words:

They took pity on your son! Lucky you! It's good that he fell off his horse and broke both legs. He won't die like the rest of the guys from our village.

The peasant replied:

Maybe it's bad, maybe not. I only know that my son did not have to follow the emperor to this battle.

Although the story ends here, it is not difficult to imagine that the life of this peasant continued in the same way.

If we act like the villagers in this story, we risk wasting precious energy looking for the good or something to counteract the bad. It is the constant search for heights, the joy of reaching which brings only temporary pleasure, that leads us to falls.

Let's take economics as an example.

Imagine that during each economic crisis, the government decides to print a mountain of new money and distribute it to all those in need. What will happen? At first everyone will be delighted, because now they will have money, although just a minute ago they were beggars. But then what? With all this new money put into circulation without the backing of a strong economy, the cost of goods and services will skyrocket. Where will this lead everyone? To an even more difficult position. Why? Because now the same goods and services will become even more expensive, making the true value of money even lower. This is what happens when we try to improve our economic situation - or our mental state - by artificial means. In both cases, we are creating a temporary, artificial boom that eventually leads to a crash. On the other hand, when we go through life, not defining events as positive or negative, but simply accepting them as they are, we eliminate the need for imitation of highs or emotional fulfillment. Instead, we get exactly what we need - a joyful, happy, light-filled life.

From Yehuda Berg's book

by tatiana on Sun, 01/31/2016 - 16:30

The story of how the legs were painted on the snake

In the ancient kingdom of Chu, there lived an aristocrat. In China, there is such a custom: after the rite of remembrance of the ancestors, all those who suffer should be treated with sacrificial wine. He did the same. The beggars who gathered at his house agreed: if everyone drinks wine, then there will not be enough of it; and if one person drinks wine, it will be too much for one. In the end, they made this decision: the one who first draws a snake will drink wine.

When one of them drew a snake, he looked around and saw that everyone around was not finished yet. Then he took a kettle of wine and, making a self-satisfied look, continued to finish drawing. “Look, I even have time left to paint on the legs of the snake,” he exclaimed. While he was drawing the legs, another debater finished drawing. He took away the teapot of wine with the words: “After all, the snake has no legs, so you didn’t draw a snake!” Having said this, he drank the wine in one gulp. So, the one who painted the snake's legs has lost the wine that should have been meant for him.

This parable says that when performing a task, you need to know all the conditions and see clear goals in front of you. It is necessary to strive for the goal with a sober head and a strong will. Don't let an easy win go to your head.

The story of the jasper of the He clan

One day, Bian He, who lived in the kingdom of Chu, found precious jade on Mount Chushan. He presented the jade to a prince from Chu named Li-wang. Li-wang ordered the master stone-cutters to determine whether it was real jade or a fake. A little time passed, and the answer was received: this is not precious jade, but a simple piece of glass. Li-wang decided that Bian He planned to deceive him and ordered to cut off his left leg.

After Li-van's death, U-van succeeded to the throne. Bian He again presented the jade to the ruler. And the same story happened again: Wu-wang also considered Bian He a deceiver. So Bian He cut off his right leg.

After Wu-wang, Wen-wang ruled. With jade in his bosom, Bian He groaned at the foot of Mount Chushan for three days. When his tears dried up, and drops of blood appeared in his eyes. Upon learning of this, Wen-wang sent a servant to ask Bian He: “There are many legless people in the country, why is he crying so desperately?” Bian He replied that he was not at all saddened by the loss of both legs. He explained that the essence of his suffering lies in the fact that in the state the precious jade is no longer jade, and an honest person is no longer an honest person, but a swindler. Hearing this, Wen-wang ordered the stone-cutters to carefully polish the stone, as a result of grinding and cutting, jade of rare beauty was obtained, which people began to call as jade of the He clan.

The author of this parable is Han Fei, a famous ancient Chinese thinker. In this story, the fate of the author himself was embodied. At one time, the ruler did not accept Han Fei's political beliefs. From this parable, we can conclude: stone cutters must know what kind of jade is, and rulers must understand what kind of person is in front of them. People who donate the most precious thing for others must be prepared to suffer from it.

The Story of Bian Que Treating Cai Huang Gong

One day, the famous physician Bian Que came to visit the ruler of Cai Huan-gong. He examined Hong Gong and said, “I see that you are suffering from a skin disease. If you don't go to the doctor immediately, I'm afraid the disease virus will penetrate deep into the body." Huang Gong didn't pay attention to Bian Que's words. He replied, "I'm fine." Hearing the speech of the prince, the doctor Bian Que said goodbye to him and left. And Huan-gong explained to his entourage that doctors often treat people who do not have any diseases. Thus, these doctors take credit for themselves and claim awards.

Ten days later, Bian Que visited the prince again. He told Cai Huang-gong that his disease had already passed into the muscles. If he is not treated, then the disease will be especially acute. Huang Gong again disobeyed Bian Que. After all, he did not recognize doctors.

Ten days later, during the third meeting with the prince, Bian Que said that the disease had already reached the intestines and stomach. And if the prince continues to persist, and does not enter the most difficult phase. But the prince was still indifferent to the doctor's advice.

Ten days later, when Bian Que saw Cai Huan Gong in the distance, he fled in fear. The prince sent a servant to him to ask why he fled without saying a word. The doctor replied that at first this skin disease could only be treated with a decoction of medicinal herbs, a warm compress and cauterization. And when the disease reaches the muscles, it can be treated with acupuncture. If the intestines and stomach are infected, then they can be treated by drinking a decoction of medicinal herbs. And when the disease passes into the bone marrow, then the patient himself is to blame, and no doctor can help.

Five days after this meeting, the prince felt pain all over his body. At the same time, he remembered Bian Que's words. However, the doctor has long since disappeared in an unknown direction.

This story teaches that a person should immediately correct his mistakes and blunders. And if he persists and dissolves, this leads to disastrous results.

The story of how Zou Ji flaunted

The first minister of the kingdom of Qi named Zou Ji was very well built and handsome in face. One morning, he dressed up in his best clothes and looked in the mirror and asked his wife, "Who do you think is prettier, me or Mr. Xu, who lives on the northern outskirts of the city?" The wife replied, “Of course, you, my husband, are much more beautiful than Xu. How can Shuya and you be compared?”

And Mr. Xu was a well-known handsome man of Qi. Zou Ji could not fully trust his wife, so he asked the same question to his concubine. She answered in the same way as his wife.

One day later, a guest came to Zou Ji. Zou Ji then asked the guest, "Who do you think is more beautiful, me or Xu?" The guest replied, “Of course, Mr. Zou, you are prettier!”

After some time, Zou Ji visited Mr. Xu. He carefully examined Xu's face, figure, and gestures. Xu's handsome appearance made a deep impression on Zou Ji. He became convinced that Xu was more beautiful than him. Then he looked at himself in the mirror: “Yes, after all, Xu is much more beautiful than me,” he said thoughtfully.

In the evening in bed, the thought of who is more beautiful did not leave Zou Ji. And then he finally understood why everyone said that he was more beautiful than Shuya. After all, the wife fawns before him, the concubine is afraid of him, and the guest needs help from him.

This parable says that a person himself must know his capabilities. You should not blindly believe the flattering speeches of those who are looking for benefits in a relationship, and therefore praise you.

The story of the frog that lived in the well

There was a frog in one well. And she had a very happy life. Once she began to tell the turtle, which came to her from the East China Sea, about her life: “Here, in the well, I do what I want and do: I can play sticks on the surface of the water in the well, I can also rest in the hole carved into the wall of the well. When I get into the silt, the mud floods only my paws. Look at the crabs and tadpoles, they have a completely different life, they have a hard time living there, in the mud. In addition, here in the well I live alone and my own mistress, I can do what I want. It's just heaven! Why don't you want to see my house?"

The turtle wanted to go down into the well. But the entrance to the well was too narrow for her shell. Therefore, without entering the well, the tortoise began to tell the frog about the world: “Look, you, for example, consider a thousand li a huge distance, right? But the sea is even bigger! You consider the top a thousand li the highest, right? But the sea is much deeper! During the reign of Yu, there were 9 floods that lasted for a whole decade, the sea did not get bigger from that. During the reign of Tang, there were 7 droughts in the course of 8 whole years, and the sea did not decrease. The sea, it is eternal. It neither grows nor decreases. That is the joy of life at sea.”

Hearing these words of the tortoise, the frog became alarmed. Her big green eyes had lost their howling vivacity, and she felt very small.

This parable says that a person should not be self-satisfied and, not knowing the world, stubbornly defend his position.

The parable of the fox that swaggered behind the tiger

One day the tiger got very hungry and ran all over the forest in search of food. Just at that time, on the way, he came across a fox. The tiger was already preparing to eat well, and the fox said to him: “You don’t dare to eat me. I was sent to earth by the Heavenly Emperor himself. It was he who appointed me the head of the world of animals. If you eat me, you will anger the Heavenly Emperor himself.”

Hearing these words, the tiger began to hesitate. However, his stomach didn't stop growling. “What should I do?” thought the tiger. Seeing the confusion of the tiger, the fox continued: “You probably think that I am deceiving you? Then follow me, and you will see how all the animals will scatter in fear at the sight of me. It would be very strange if it happened otherwise.”

These words seemed reasonable to the tiger, and he followed the fox. And indeed, the animals at the sight of them instantly scattered in different directions. The tiger was unaware that the animals were afraid of him, the tiger, and not the cunning fox. Who is afraid of her?

This parable teaches us that in life we ​​must be able to distinguish between the true and the false. One must be able not to be deceived by external data, to delve into the essence of things. If you fail to distinguish truth from lies, then it is very possible that you will be deceived by people like this cunning fox.

This fable warns people not to be stupid and not to put on airs, having achieved an easy victory.

Yu Gong Moves Mountains

"Yu Gong Moves Mountains" is a story without a real story behind it. It is contained in the book "Le Zi", and the author of which is the philosopher Le Yukou, who lived in the IV - V centuries. BC e.

The story "Yu Gong Moves Mountains" says that in the old days there lived an old man named Yu Gong (literally, "stupid old man"). In front of his house were two huge mountains - Taihan and Wangu, which blocked the approaches to his house. It was very inconvenient.

And then one day Yu Gong gathered the whole family and said that the Taihang and Wangu mountains block the approaches to the house. "Do you think we will dig these two mountains?" the old man asked.

Yu Gong's sons and grandsons immediately agreed and said, "Let's start work from tomorrow!" However, Yu Gong's wife expressed doubts. She said: "We have been living here for several years, so we can continue to live here despite these mountains. Moreover, the mountains are very high, and where will we put the stones and soil taken from the mountains?"

Where to put stones and soil? After discussion among family members, they decided to dump them into the sea.

The next day, Yu Gong's entire family began to crush the rock with hoes. Neighbor Yu Gong's son also came to help tear down the mountains, although he was not yet eight years old. Their tools were very simple - only hoes and baskets. There was a considerable distance from the mountains to the sea. Therefore, after a month of work, the mountains still looked the same.

There was an old man named Zhi Sou (which literally means "smart old man"). Upon learning of this story, he ridiculed Yu Gong and called him stupid. Zhi Sou said that the mountains are very high and human strength is negligible, so it is impossible to move these two huge mountains, and Yu Gong's actions are very ridiculous and absurd.

Yu Gong replied: “Although the mountains are high, they do not grow, so if I and my sons take a little from the mountain every day, and then my grandchildren, and then my great-grandchildren continue our work, then in the end we will move these the mountains!" His words stunned Ji Sou, and he fell silent.

And Yu Gong's family continued to tear down mountains every day. Their stubbornness touched the heavenly lord, and he sent two fairies to the earth, who moved the mountains away from Yu Gong's house. This ancient legend tells us that if people have a strong will, they will be able to overcome any difficulties and achieve success.

History of the Laoshan Taoist

There was once a lazy man named Wang Qi. Although Wang Qi did not know how to do anything, however, he passionately desired to learn some kind of magic. Learning that near the sea, on Mount Laoshan, lives a Taoist, whom people called "the Taoist from Mount Laoshan", and that he can work miracles, Wang Qi decided to become a student of this Taoist and ask him to teach the student magic. Therefore, Wang Qi left his family and went to the Laoshan Taoist. Arriving at Mount Laoshan, Wang Qi found the Laoshan Taoist and made his request to him. The Taoist realized that Wang Qi was very lazy and refused him. However, Wang Qi asked persistently, and in the end, the Taoist agreed to take Wang Qi as his disciple.

Wang Qi thought that he would be able to learn magic very soon and was delighted. The next day, Wang Qi, inspired, hurried to the Taoist. Suddenly, the Taoist gave him an ax and ordered him to chop wood. Although Wang Qi did not want to chop wood, he had to do as the Taoist instructed so that he would not refuse to teach him magic. Wang Qi spent the whole day chopping wood on the mountain and was very tired; He was very unhappy.

A month passed, and Wang Qi was still chopping wood. Every day to work as a woodcutter and not learn magic - he could not put up with such a life and decided to return home. And it was at that moment that he saw with his own eyes how his teacher - Laoshan Taoist - showed his ability to create magic. One evening, a Laoshan Taoist was drinking wine with two friends. The Taoist poured wine glass after glass from the bottle, and the bottle was still full. Then the Taoist turned his chopsticks into a beauty who began to sing and dance for the guests, and after the banquet she turned back into chopsticks. All this surprised Wang Qi too much, and he decided to stay on the mountain to learn magic.

Another month passed, and the Laoshan Taoist still did not teach Wang Qi anything. This time, the lazy Wang Qi got excited. He went to the Taoist and said: "I'm already tired of chopping wood. After all, I came here to learn magic and sorcery, and I ask you about it, otherwise I came here in vain." The Taoist laughed and asked him what magic he wanted to learn. Wang Qi said, "I've often seen you walk through walls; that's the kind of magic I want to learn." The Taoist laughed again and agreed. He told Wang Qi a spell to pass through walls and told Wang Qi to try it. Wang Qi tried and successfully penetrated the wall. He immediately rejoiced and wished to return home. Before Wang Qi left for home, the Laoshan Taoist told him to be an honest and humble person, otherwise the magic would lose its power.

Wang Qi returned home and boasted to his wife that he could walk through walls. However, his wife did not believe him. Wang Qi began to cast a spell and went to the wall. It turned out that he was not able to pass through it. He hit his head against the wall and fell. His wife laughed at him and said: "If there are magic in the world, they cannot be learned in two or three months!" And Wang Qi thought that the Laoshan Taoist had deceived him, and began to scold the holy hermit. It just so happened that Wang Qi still can't do anything.

Mr Dungo and the wolf

The fairy tale "The Fisherman and the Spirit" from the collection of Arabic fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights" is widely known in the world. In China, there is also a moralizing story about "Teacher Dungo and the wolf." This story is known from Dongtian Zhuan; the author of this work is Ma Zhongxi, who lived in the 13th century. , during the Ming Dynasty.

So, once upon a time there lived such a pedantic armchair scientist, whose name was the teacher (Mr.) Dungo. One day, Dongguo, carrying a bag of books on his back and urging a donkey, went to a place called Zhongshanguo on his business. On the way he met a wolf pursued by hunters, and this wolf asked Dungo to rescue him. Mr. Dungo felt sorry for the wolf, and he agreed. Dungo told him to curl up in a ball, tied the beast with a rope so that the wolf would fit in a bag and hide there.

As soon as Mr. Dungo stuffed the wolf into the bag, the hunters approached him. They asked if Dungo had seen the wolf and where he had run. Dungo deceived the hunters by saying that the wolf ran the other way. The hunters took Mr. Dungo's words for granted and chased the wolf in a different direction. The wolf in the sack heard that the hunters had left, and asked Mr. Dungo to untie and let him out. Dungo agreed. Suddenly, the wolf, jumping out of the bag, attacked Dungo, wanting to eat him. The wolf shouted: "You, good man, saved me, however, now I am very hungry, and therefore be kind again and let me eat you." Dungo was frightened and began to scold the wolf for his ingratitude. At that moment, a peasant passed by with a hoe on his shoulder. Mister Dungo stopped the peasant and told him how it had been. He asked the peasant to decide who is right and who is wrong. But the wolf denied the fact that Master Dungo had saved him. The peasant thought for a moment and said: "I don't believe you both, because this bag is too small to contain such a large wolf. I won't believe your words until I see with my own eyes how the wolf fits in this bag." The wolf agreed and curled up again. Mr. Dungo tied the wolf again with a rope and put the beast in a sack. The peasant immediately tied up the sack and said to Mr. Dungo: "The wolf will never change his cannibal nature. You acted very stupidly that you showed kindness towards the wolf." And the peasant slapped the sack and killed the wolf with a hoe.

When Lord Dungo is mentioned these days, they mean those who treat their enemies kindly. And by "Zhongshan wolf" they mean ungrateful people.

"The track to the south, and the shafts to the north" ("harness the horse with its tail forward"; "put the cart before the horse")

During the era of the Warring States (V - III centuries BC), China was divided into many kingdoms that continuously fought among themselves. Each kingdom had advisors who specifically served to advise the emperor on methods and methods of government. These advisers, persuading, knew how to use figurative expressions, comparisons and metaphors, so that the emperors consciously accepted their advice and suggestions. "Harnessing the Horse Tail First" is the story of Di Liang, the adviser of the kingdom of Wei. This is what he once came up with to convince Emperor Wei to change his mind.

The Wei kingdom was stronger than the Zhao kingdom at that time, so Emperor Wei decided to attack the capital of the Zhao kingdom, Handan, and subdue the Zhao kingdom. Upon learning of this, Di Liang was very agitated and decided to convince the emperor to change this decision.

The emperor of the Wei kingdom was discussing with the military leaders a plan to attack the Zhao kingdom, when Di Liang suddenly arrived. Di Liang said to the emperor:

I just saw a strange phenomenon on my way here...

What? - asked the emperor.

I saw a horse going north. I asked the man in the cart, “Where are you going? ". He replied, "I'm going to the realm of Chu." I was surprised: after all, the kingdom of Chu is in the south, and he is traveling north. However, he laughed and did not even raise an eyebrow. He said, "I have enough money for the journey, I have a good horse and a good driver, so I can still get to Chu." I could never understand: money, a good horse and a wonderful driver. Why, it won't help if he's going in the wrong direction. He will never be able to reach Chu. The farther he traveled, the more he moved away from the kingdom of Chu. However, I could not dissuade him from changing direction, and he rode forward.

Hearing Di Liang's words, the Wei Emperor laughed at how stupid the man was. Di Liang continued:

Your Majesty! If you want to become the emperor of these realms, then you must first gain the trust of these countries. And aggression against the Zhao kingdom, which is weaker than our kingdom, will lower your prestige and remove you from the goal!

It was only then that Emperor Wei understood the true meaning of Di Liang's example and canceled his aggressive plans against the Zhao kingdom.

Today, the phraseological unit "The track to the south, and the shafts to the north" means "To act in complete contradiction to the goal"

Acquiring a concubine by measuring the land

One young man, not yet of age, but very smart, lost both his parents early and lived under the care of his uncle. One day the young man noticed that his uncle looked very worried. He began to ask about the reasons for this. The uncle replied that he was worried that he did not have a son. To take care of the male offspring, one should take a concubine into the house, but his wife does not want this. That is why he is concerned.

The young man thought for a moment and then said:

Uncle, don't be sad anymore. I see a way to get my aunt's consent.

It is unlikely that you will succeed, - my uncle said incredulously.

The next day, in the morning, the young man took a tailor's ruler and began to measure the ground with it, starting from the door of his uncle's house, and did this so hard that his aunt looked out of the house.

What are you doing here? she asked.

I'm measuring the site, - the young man replied coolly and continued his work.

What? Are you measuring the area? - exclaimed the aunt. - What are you worried about our good?

To this, the young man with a self-confident mine explained:

Auntie, it goes without saying. I'm preparing for the future. You and your uncle are no longer young, and you have no sons. Therefore, of course, your house will remain with me, so I want to measure it, because I am going to rebuild it later.

The aunt, irritated and angry, could not utter a word. She ran into the house, woke up her husband and began to beg him to take the concubine as soon as possible.

Chinese stratagems

A parable about the cycle of fate.

One man's wife died, and a neighbor came to express his condolences to him. Imagine his surprise when he saw that the widower was squatting and singing songs. The neighbor turned to the widower: - Shame on you! You lived so many years with your wife. And instead of mourning her, you sing songs!

You're wrong, the widower replied. When she died, I was sad at first. But then I thought about what she was before she was born. I realized that she was scattered in the void of chaos. Then it 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 seasons alternate. Man is buried in the abyss of transformations, as if in the chambers of a huge house. To cry and lament over him means not to understand fate. That's why I started singing instead of crying.

Moral: the life of the soul is infinite

A parable about a talkative man.

Lao Tzu went for a walk every morning, accompanied by his neighbor. The neighbor knew that Lao Tzu was a man of few words. For many years he accompanied him on his morning walks in complete silence, and he never said anything. One day he had a guest at his house who also wanted to go for a walk with Lao Tzu. The neighbor said, “Okay, but you must not talk. Lao Tzu does not tolerate this. Remember: nothing can be said!

It was a glorious still morning, only the singing of the birds broke the silence. The guest said: “How wonderful!” It was the only thing he said during the hour-long walk, but Lao Tzu looked at him as if he had committed a sin.

After the walk, Lao Tzu said to a neighbor, “Never bring anyone else! And don't ever come back! This man seems to be very talkative. The morning was beautiful, it was so quiet. This man ruined everything."

Moral: words are superfluous. By the way, we also have a good proverb on this subject: “silence is golden”.

The parable of the mirror and the dog.

The parable of the mirror and the dog.

Long ago, a king built a huge palace. It was a palace with millions of mirrors. Absolutely all the walls, floors and ceilings of the palace were covered with mirrors. Once a dog ran into the palace. Looking around, she saw many dogs around her. Dogs were everywhere. Being a very intelligent dog, she bared her teeth in order to just in case protect herself from these millions of dogs surrounding her and frighten them. All the dogs bared their teeth in response. She growled as they answered her menacingly.

Now the dog was sure that its life was in danger, and began to bark. She had to tense up, she began to bark with all her might, very desperately. But when she barked, those millions of dogs started barking too. And the more she barked, the more they answered her.

In the morning this unfortunate dog was found dead. And she was there alone, in that palace there were only millions of mirrors. No one fought her, there was no one at all who could fight, but she saw herself in the mirrors and was frightened. And when she began to fight, the reflections in the mirrors also joined the fight. She died fighting against the millions of her own reflections surrounding her.

Moral: the world around us is a reflection of ourselves. Be calm and radiate positive, the Universe will answer you in return!

Parable about happiness.

Once upon a time there lived a man who carved stones from a cliff. His work was hard and he was dissatisfied. Once a stonecutter exclaimed in his hearts: “Oh, if only I were rich!” And about a miracle! His wish came true.

After some time, the emperor arrived in the city where he lived. Seeing the ruler, over whose head the servants held a golden umbrella, the rich man felt envy. In his hearts he exclaimed: “Oh, if only I were an emperor!” And his wish came true.

One day he went on a hike. The sun was so hot that even a golden umbrella could not protect the emperor from the burning rays. And he thought: "Oh, if only I were the sun!" His wish came true this time too.

But one day a cloud eclipsed the sunlight. Then the sun exclaimed: “Oh, if only I were a cloud!” And he was a cloud, and it rained, and water filled all corners of the world. But here's the problem! Drops of rain fell desperately against the cliff, but could not crush it. The rain exclaimed: "Oh, if I were a cliff!"

But the stonecutter came, brought his pick above the rock and enslaved it. And the cliff exclaimed: “Oh, if I were a stone cutter!”

At that moment, he again became himself and realized that neither wealth nor power would give him joy.

Moral: if suddenly someone did not guess, then to l The key to happiness, described in this parable, is to be able to rejoice in what you have.

This story happened in China, during the time of Lao Tzu. A very poor old man lived in the village, but even the monarchs envied him, because the old man had a beautiful white horse. The kings offered a fabulous price for the horse, but the old man always refused.

One morning the horse was not in the stable. The whole village gathered, people sympathized:

Silly old man. We already knew that one day the horse would be stolen. It would be better to sell it. What a misfortune!

The old man laughingly replied:

Do not rush to conclusions. Just say that the horse is not in the stable - that's a fact. I don’t know if this is a disaster or a blessing, and who knows what will follow next?

A couple of weeks later the horse returned. It wasn't stolen, it just got loose. And not just returned, but brought with him a dozen wild horses from the forest.

The runaway neighbors vying with each other repeated:

You were right, old man. Forgive us, we do not know the ways of the Lord, but you turned out to be more perspicacious. It's not a misfortune, it's a blessing.

The old man chuckled.

Again you are going too far. Just say the horse is back. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.

This time people didn't talk much anymore, but in their hearts everyone thought that the old man was wrong. After all, twelve horses came! The old man's son began to ride wild horses, and it so happened that one of them threw him off. The young man broke both legs. People gathered again and began to gossip.

They talked:

You were right again! This is misfortune. Your only son broke his legs, and yet he is your support in old age. Now you are poorer than you were.

The old man replied:

And again, you started talking. Don't go far. Just say that my son broke his legs. No one knows if it's bad luck or bad luck. Life is just a series of events and the future is unknown.

It so happened that a few days after that the country entered the war and all the young men were mobilized. Only the old man's son, who became a cripple, remained. Everyone moaned in anticipation of a heated battle, realizing that most of the young men would never return home. People came to the old man, complaining:

You're right again old man, that was a blessing. Although your son is mutilated, he is still with you. And our sons are gone forever.

The old man said again:

You judge again. No one knows. Just say that your children were taken into the army, and my son stayed at home.

The moral of this parable is: it is not worth interpreting the events of our lives, we are not allowed to see them in their entirety. One day you will realize that everything is fine.

The young man was confused:
But I didn't notice anything!
Then the teacher said:


The student replied:

Once an old Chinese teacher said to his student:

Please look around this room and try to find 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, book bindings, and a host of other little things.
- Now close your eyes and list all the objects ... blue, - asked the teacher.
The young man was confused:
But I didn't notice anything!
Then the teacher said:
- Open your eyes. Just look how many blue objects are here !!!
It was true: blue vase, blue photo frames, blue carpet...
The student replied:
- But it's a trick! After all, at your direction, I was looking for brown, not blue objects!
The teacher 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 lose sight of all the good!
“I have always been taught to expect the worst, and then you will never be disappointed. And if the worst doesn't happen, I'm in for a pleasant surprise. Well, if I always hope for the best, then I run the risk of disappointment!
- Confidence in the benefits of expecting the worst makes us lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. If you expect the worst, 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!

the spelling of the original source is preserved in the text

The story of how the legs were painted on the snake

In the ancient kingdom of Chu, there lived an aristocrat. In China, there is such a custom: after the rite of remembrance of the ancestors, all those who suffer should be treated with sacrificial wine. He did the same. The beggars who gathered at his house agreed: if everyone drinks wine, then there will not be enough of it; and if one person drinks wine, it will be too much for one. In the end, they made this decision: the one who first draws a snake will drink wine.

When one of them drew a snake, he looked around and saw that everyone around was not finished yet. Then he took a kettle of wine and, making a self-satisfied look, continued to finish drawing. “Look, I even have time left to paint on the legs of the snake,” he exclaimed. While he was drawing the legs, another debater finished drawing. He took away the teapot of wine with the words: “After all, the snake has no legs, so you didn’t draw a snake!” Having said this, he drank the wine in one gulp. So, the one who painted the snake's legs has lost the wine that should have been meant for him.

This parable says that when performing a task, you need to know all the conditions and see clear goals in front of you. It is necessary to strive for the goal with a sober head and a strong will. Don't let an easy win go to your head.

The story of the jasper of the He clan

One day, Bian He, who lived in the kingdom of Chu, found precious jade on Mount Chushan. He presented the jade to a prince from Chu named Li-wang. Li-wang ordered the master stone-cutters to determine whether it was real jade or a fake. A little time passed, and the answer was received: this is not precious jade, but a simple piece of glass. Li-wang decided that Bian He planned to deceive him and ordered to cut off his left leg.

After Li-van's death, U-van succeeded to the throne. Bian He again presented the jade to the ruler. And the same story happened again: Wu-wang also considered Bian He a deceiver. So Bian He cut off his right leg.

After Wu-wang, Wen-wang ruled. With jade in his bosom, Bian He groaned at the foot of Mount Chushan for three days. When his tears dried up, and drops of blood appeared in his eyes. Upon learning of this, Wen-wang sent a servant to ask Bian He: “There are many legless people in the country, why is he crying so desperately?” Bian He replied that he was not at all saddened by the loss of both legs. He explained that the essence of his suffering lies in the fact that in the state the precious jade is no longer jade, and an honest person is no longer an honest person, but a swindler. Hearing this, Wen-wang ordered the stone-cutters to carefully polish the stone, as a result of grinding and cutting, jade of rare beauty was obtained, which people began to call as jade of the He clan.

The author of this parable is Han Fei, a famous ancient Chinese thinker. In this story, the fate of the author himself was embodied. At one time, the ruler did not accept Han Fei's political beliefs. From this parable, we can conclude: stone cutters should know what kind of jade they are, and rulers should understand what kind of person is in front of them. People who donate the most precious thing for others must be prepared to suffer from it.

The Story of Bian Que Treating Cai Huang Gong

One day, the famous physician Bian Que came to visit the ruler of Cai Huan-gong. He examined Hong Gong and said, “I see that you are suffering from a skin disease. If you don't go to the doctor immediately, I'm afraid the disease virus will penetrate deep into the body." Huang Gong didn't pay attention to Bian Que's words. He replied, "I'm fine." Hearing the speech of the prince, the doctor Bian Que said goodbye to him and left. And Huan-gong explained to his entourage that doctors often treat people who do not have any diseases. Thus, these doctors take credit for themselves and claim awards.

Ten days later, Bian Que visited the prince again. He told Cai Huang-gong that his disease had already passed into the muscles. If he is not treated, then the disease will be especially acute. Huang Gong again disobeyed Bian Que. After all, he did not recognize doctors.

Ten days later, during the third meeting with the prince, Bian Que said that the disease had already reached the intestines and stomach. And if the prince continues to persist, and does not enter the most difficult phase. But the prince was still indifferent to the doctor's advice.

Ten days later, when Bian Que saw Cai Huan Gong in the distance, he fled in fear. The prince sent a servant to him to ask why he fled without saying a word. The doctor replied that at first this skin disease could only be treated with a decoction of medicinal herbs, a warm compress and cauterization. And when the disease reaches the muscles, it can be treated with acupuncture. If the intestines and stomach are infected, then they can be treated by drinking a decoction of medicinal herbs. And when the disease passes into the bone marrow, then the patient himself is to blame, and no doctor can help.

Five days after this meeting, the prince felt pain all over his body. At the same time, he remembered Bian Que's words. However, the doctor has long since disappeared in an unknown direction.

This story teaches that a person should immediately correct his mistakes and blunders. And if he persists and dissolves, this leads to disastrous results.

The story of how Zou Ji flaunted

The first minister of the kingdom of Qi named Zou Ji was very well built and handsome in face. One morning, he dressed up in his best clothes and looked in the mirror and asked his wife, "Who do you think is prettier, me or Mr. Xu, who lives on the northern outskirts of the city?" The wife replied, “Of course, you, my husband, are much more beautiful than Xu. How can Shuya and you be compared?”

And Mr. Xu was a well-known handsome man of Qi. Zou Ji could not fully trust his wife, so he asked the same question to his concubine. She answered in the same way as his wife.

One day later, a guest came to Zou Ji. Zou Ji then asked the guest, "Who do you think is more beautiful, me or Xu?" The guest replied, “Of course, Mr. Zou, you are prettier!”

After some time, Zou Ji visited Mr. Xu. He carefully examined Xu's face, figure, and gestures. Xu's handsome appearance made a deep impression on Zou Ji. He became convinced that Xu was more beautiful than him. Then he looked at himself in the mirror: “Yes, after all, Xu is much more beautiful than me,” he said thoughtfully.

In the evening in bed, the thought of who is more beautiful did not leave Zou Ji. And then he finally understood why everyone said that he was more beautiful than Shuya. After all, the wife fawns before him, the concubine is afraid of him, and the guest needs help from him.

This parable says that a person himself must know his capabilities. You should not blindly believe the flattering speeches of those who are looking for benefits in a relationship, and therefore praise you.

The story of the frog that lived in the well

There was a frog in one well. And she had a very happy life. Once she began to tell the turtle, which came to her from the East China Sea, about her life: “Here, in the well, I do what I want, I do it: I can play sticks on the surface of the water in the well, I can also rest in the hole carved into the wall of the well. When I get into the silt, the mud floods only my paws. Look at the crabs and tadpoles, they have a completely different life, they have a hard time living there, in the mud. In addition, here in the well I live alone and my own mistress, I can do what I want. It's just heaven! Why don't you want to see my house?"

The turtle wanted to go down into the well. But the entrance to the well was too narrow for her shell. Therefore, without entering the well, the tortoise began to tell the frog about the world: “Look, you, for example, consider a thousand li a huge distance, right? But the sea is even bigger! You consider the top a thousand li the highest, right? But the sea is much deeper! During the reign of Yu, there were 9 floods that lasted for a whole decade, the sea did not get bigger from that. During the reign of Tang, there were 7 droughts in the course of 8 whole years, and the sea did not decrease. The sea, it is eternal. It neither grows nor decreases. That is the joy of life at sea.”

Hearing these words of the tortoise, the frog became alarmed. Her big green eyes had lost their howling vivacity, and she felt very small.

This parable says that a person should not be self-satisfied and, not knowing the world, stubbornly defend his position.

The parable of the fox that swaggered behind the tiger

One day the tiger got very hungry and ran all over the forest in search of food. Just at that time, on the way, he came across a fox. The tiger was already preparing to eat well, and the fox said to him: “You don’t dare to eat me. I was sent to earth by the Heavenly Emperor himself. It was he who appointed me the head of the world of animals. If you eat me, you will anger the Heavenly Emperor himself.”

Hearing these words, the tiger began to hesitate. However, his stomach didn't stop growling. "What should I do?" thought the tiger. Seeing the confusion of the tiger, the fox continued: “You probably think that I am deceiving you? Then follow me, and you will see how all the animals will scatter in fear at the sight of me. It would be very strange if it happened otherwise.”

These words seemed reasonable to the tiger, and he followed the fox. And indeed, the animals at the sight of them instantly scattered in different directions. The tiger was unaware that the animals were afraid of him, the tiger, and not the cunning fox. Who is afraid of her?

This parable teaches us that in life we ​​must be able to distinguish between the true and the false. One must be able not to be deceived by external data, to delve into the essence of things. If you fail to distinguish truth from lies, then it is very possible that you will be deceived by people like this cunning fox.

This fable warns people not to be stupid and not to put on airs, having achieved an easy victory.

Yu Gong Moves Mountains

"Yu Gong Moves Mountains" is a story without a real story behind it. It is contained in the book "Le Zi", and the author of which is the philosopher Le Yukou, who lived in the IV - V centuries. BC e.

The story "Yu Gong Moves Mountains" says that in the old days there lived an old man named Yu Gong (literally, "stupid old man"). In front of his house were two huge mountains - Taihan and Wangu, which blocked the approaches to his house. It was very inconvenient.

And then one day Yu Gong gathered the whole family and said that the Taihang and Wangu mountains block the approaches to the house. "Do you think we will dig these two mountains?" asked the old man.

Yu Gong's sons and grandsons immediately agreed and said, "Let's start work from tomorrow!" However, Yu Gong's wife expressed doubts. She said: "We have been living here for several years, so we can continue to live here despite these mountains. Moreover, the mountains are very high, and where will we put the stones and soil taken from the mountains?"

Where to put stones and soil? After discussion among family members, they decided to dump them into the sea.

The next day, Yu Gong's entire family began to crush the rock with hoes. Neighbor Yu Gong's son also came to help tear down the mountains, although he was not yet eight years old. Their tools were very simple - only hoes and baskets. There was a considerable distance from the mountains to the sea. Therefore, after a month of work, the mountains still looked the same.

There was an old man named Zhi Sou (which literally means "smart old man"). Upon learning of this story, he ridiculed Yu Gong and called him stupid. Zhi Sou said that the mountains are very high and human strength is negligible, so it is impossible to move these two huge mountains, and Yu Gong's actions are very ridiculous and absurd.

Yu Gong replied: “Although the mountains are high, they do not grow, so if I and my sons take a little from the mountain every day, and then my grandchildren, and then my great-grandchildren continue our work, then in the end we will move these the mountains!" His words stunned Ji Sou, and he fell silent.

And Yu Gong's family continued to tear down mountains every day. Their stubbornness touched the heavenly lord, and he sent two fairies to the earth, who moved the mountains away from Yu Gong's house. This ancient legend tells us that if people have a strong will, they will be able to overcome any difficulties and achieve success.

History of the Laoshan Taoist

There was once a lazy man named Wang Qi. Although Wang Qi did not know how to do anything, however, he passionately desired to learn some kind of magic. Learning that near the sea, on Mount Laoshan, lives a Taoist, whom people called "the Taoist from Mount Laoshan", and that he can work miracles, Wang Qi decided to become a student of this Taoist and ask him to teach the student magic. Therefore, Wang Qi left his family and went to the Laoshan Taoist. Arriving at Mount Laoshan, Wang Qi found the Laoshan Taoist and made his request to him. The Taoist realized that Wang Qi was very lazy and refused him. However, Wang Qi asked persistently, and in the end, the Taoist agreed to take Wang Qi as his disciple.

Wang Qi thought that he would be able to learn magic very soon and was delighted. The next day, Wang Qi, inspired, hurried to the Taoist. Suddenly, the Taoist gave him an ax and ordered him to chop wood. Although Wang Qi did not want to chop wood, he had to do as the Taoist instructed so that he would not refuse to teach him magic. Wang Qi spent the whole day chopping wood on the mountain and was very tired; He was very unhappy.

A month passed, and Wang Qi was still chopping wood. Every day to work as a woodcutter and not learn magic, he could not put up with such a life and decided to return home. And it was at that moment that he saw with his own eyes how his teacher - Laoshan Taoist - showed his ability to create magic. One evening, a Laoshan Taoist was drinking wine with two friends. The Taoist poured wine glass after glass from the bottle, and the bottle was still full. Then the Taoist turned his chopsticks into a beauty who began to sing and dance for the guests, and after the banquet she turned back into chopsticks. All this surprised Wang Qi too much, and he decided to stay on the mountain to learn magic.

Another month passed, and the Laoshan Taoist still did not teach Wang Qi anything. This time, the lazy Wang Qi got excited. He went to the Taoist and said: "I'm already tired of chopping wood. After all, I came here to learn magic and sorcery, and I ask you about it, otherwise I came here in vain." The Taoist laughed and asked him what magic he wanted to learn. Wang Qi said, "I've often seen you walk through walls; that's the kind of magic I want to learn." The Taoist laughed again and agreed. He told Wang Qi a spell to pass through walls and told Wang Qi to try it. Wang Qi tried and successfully penetrated the wall. He immediately rejoiced and wished to return home. Before Wang Qi left for home, the Laoshan Taoist told him to be an honest and humble person, otherwise the magic would lose its power.

Wang Qi returned home and boasted to his wife that he could walk through walls. However, his wife did not believe him. Wang Qi began to cast a spell and went to the wall. It turned out that he was not able to pass through it. He hit his head against the wall and fell. His wife laughed at him and said: "If there are magic in the world, they cannot be learned in two or three months!" And Wang Qi thought that the Laoshan Taoist had deceived him, and began to scold the holy hermit. It just so happened that Wang Qi still can't do anything.

Mr Dungo and the wolf

The fairy tale "The Fisherman and the Spirit" from the collection of Arabic fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights" is widely known in the world. In China, there is also a moralizing story about "Teacher Dungo and the wolf." This story is known from Dongtian Zhuan; the author of this work is Ma Zhongxi, who lived in the 13th century. , during the Ming Dynasty.

So, once upon a time there lived such a pedantic armchair scientist, whose name was the teacher (Mr.) Dungo. One day, Dongguo, carrying a bag of books on his back and urging a donkey, went to a place called Zhongshanguo on his business. On the way he met a wolf pursued by hunters, and this wolf asked Dungo to rescue him. Mr. Dungo felt sorry for the wolf, and he agreed. Dungo told him to curl up in a ball, tied the beast with a rope so that the wolf would fit in a bag and hide there.

As soon as Mr. Dungo stuffed the wolf into the bag, the hunters approached him. They asked if Dungo had seen the wolf and where he had run. Dungo deceived the hunters by saying that the wolf ran the other way. The hunters took Mr. Dungo's words for granted and chased the wolf in a different direction. The wolf in the sack heard that the hunters had left, and asked Mr. Dungo to untie and let him out. Dungo agreed. Suddenly, the wolf, jumping out of the bag, attacked Dungo, wanting to eat him. The wolf shouted: "You, good man, saved me, however, now I am very hungry, and therefore be kind again and let me eat you." Dungo was frightened and began to scold the wolf for his ingratitude. At that moment, a peasant passed by with a hoe on his shoulder. Mister Dungo stopped the peasant and told him how it had been. He asked the peasant to decide who is right and who is wrong. But the wolf denied the fact that Master Dungo had saved him. The peasant thought for a moment and said: "I don't believe you both, because this bag is too small to contain such a large wolf. I won't believe your words until I see with my own eyes how the wolf fits in this bag." The wolf agreed and curled up again. Mr. Dungo tied the wolf again with a rope and put the beast in a sack. The peasant immediately tied up the sack and said to Mr. Dungo: "The wolf will never change his cannibal nature. You acted very stupidly that you showed kindness towards the wolf." And the peasant slapped the sack and killed the wolf with a hoe.

When Lord Dungo is mentioned these days, they mean those who treat their enemies kindly. And by "Zhongshan wolf" they mean ungrateful people.

"The track to the south, and the shafts to the north" ("harness the horse with its tail forward"; "put the cart before the horse")

During the era of the Warring States (V - III centuries BC), China was divided into many kingdoms that continuously fought among themselves. Each kingdom had advisors who specifically served to advise the emperor on methods and methods of government. These advisers, persuading, knew how to use figurative expressions, comparisons and metaphors, so that the emperors consciously accepted their advice and suggestions. "Harnessing the Horse Tail First" is the story of Di Liang, the adviser of the kingdom of Wei. This is what he once came up with to convince Emperor Wei to change his mind.

The Wei kingdom was stronger than the Zhao kingdom at that time, so Emperor Wei decided to attack the capital of the Zhao kingdom, Handan, and subdue the Zhao kingdom. Upon learning of this, Di Liang was very agitated and decided to convince the emperor to change this decision.

The emperor of the Wei kingdom was discussing with the military leaders a plan to attack the Zhao kingdom, when Di Liang suddenly arrived. Di Liang said to the emperor:

I just saw a strange phenomenon on my way here...

What? - asked the emperor.

I saw a horse going north. I asked the man in the cart, “Where are you going? ". He replied, "I'm going to the realm of Chu." I was surprised: after all, the kingdom of Chu is in the south, and he is traveling north. However, he laughed and did not even raise an eyebrow. He said, "I have enough money for the journey, I have a good horse and a good driver, so I can still get to Chu." I could never understand: money, a good horse and a wonderful driver. Why, it won't help if he's going in the wrong direction. He will never be able to reach Chu. The farther he traveled, the more he moved away from the kingdom of Chu. However, I could not dissuade him from changing direction, and he rode forward.

Hearing Di Liang's words, the Wei Emperor laughed at how stupid the man was. Di Liang continued:

Your Majesty! If you want to become the emperor of these realms, then you must first gain the trust of these countries. And aggression against the Zhao kingdom, which is weaker than our kingdom, will lower your prestige and remove you from the goal!

It was only then that Emperor Wei understood the true meaning of Di Liang's example and canceled his aggressive plans against the Zhao kingdom.

Today, the phraseological unit "The track to the south, and the shafts to the north" means "To act in complete contradiction to the goal"

ABIRUS project

There is a Tibetan proverb: any trouble can become a good opportunity. Even tragedy has its possibilities. The meaning of another Tibetan proverb is that the true nature of happiness can only be seen in the light of painful experience. Only a sharp contrast with painful experiences teaches us to appreciate moments of joy. Why - the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu explain in The Book of Joy. We publish an excerpt.

The Parable of the Peasant

You never know how our sufferings and troubles will turn out, what in life is for the better and what is for the worse. There is a well-known Chinese parable about a peasant whose horse ran away.

Neighbors immediately began to talk about how unlucky he was. And the peasant replied that no one could know: perhaps this was for the best. The horse returned and brought with it an unbroken steed. The neighbors began to gossip again: this time talking about how lucky the peasant was. But he again replied that no one knows whether this is good or bad. And now the son of a peasant breaks his leg, trying to saddle a horse. Here the neighbors have no doubt: this is a failure!

But again they hear in response that no one knows whether this is for the better or not. The war breaks out, and all healthy men are drafted into the army, except for the son of a peasant, who stays at home because of a bad leg.

Joy in spite of

Many see suffering as a bad thing, the Dalai Lama said. - But in fact, this is an opportunity that fate throws at you. Despite difficulties and torment, a person can maintain firmness and self-control.

The Dalai Lama has been through a lot. And he knows, he says, -.

It is clear what the Dalai Lama means. But how to stop resisting suffering and accepting it as an opportunity, being in the thick of things? It is easy to speak, but to do... Jinpa mentioned that in the Tibetan spiritual teaching "Training the Mind in Seven Points" there are three categories of people who should be paid special attention to, since it is with them that particularly difficult relationships develop: family members, teachers and enemies .

"Three objects of special attention, three poisons and three roots of virtue." Jinpa explained the meaning of the enigmatic and intriguing phrase: “Daily contact with these three objects of special attention gives rise to three poisons: attachment, anger and delusion. They are the ones who cause the most pain. But when we start interacting with family members, teachers and enemies, it will help to comprehend the three roots of virtue - non-attachment, compassion and wisdom.

Many Tibetans, the Dalai Lama continued, spent years in Chinese labor camps, where they were tortured and forced to do hard labor. Then they admitted that it was a good test of the inner core, showing which of them is really a strong personality. Some lost hope. Others were not discouraged. Education had almost no effect on survival. In the end, the most important thing was strength of mind and kindness.

And I expected to hear that the main thing would be unshakable determination and firmness. With what amazement I learned that the strength of the spirit and

If there are no difficulties in life and you are relaxed all the time, then you complain more.

It seems that the secret of joy was born in the course of strange alchemical transformations of mind and matter. The road to joy did not go away from adversity and suffering, but ran through them. As the archbishop said, without suffering it is impossible to create beauty.

Education by life

People have been convinced more than once that in order to reveal the generosity of the spirit, we must go through humiliation and experience disappointment. You may doubt it, but there are very few people in the world whose life from birth to death runs smoothly. People need education.

What exactly in people requires education?

The natural reaction of a person is to hit back with a blow. But if the spirit has been hardened, he will want to know what forced the other person to strike. So we find ourselves in the shoes of the enemy. It is almost an axiom: the generous in spirit went through humiliation in order to get rid of the dross.

Get rid of spiritual slag and learn to take the place of another person. In almost all cases, in order to educate the spirit, it is necessary to go through, if not torment, then, in any case, disappointment, to come across an obstacle that prevents one from going along the chosen path.

No one who is strong in spirit has ever walked a straight path, devoid of obstacles.

"There was always something that forced you to turn off the path and then go back." The archbishop pointed to his thin, weak right arm, paralyzed as a child after contracting polio. A vivid example of the suffering he endured as a child.

The spirit is like a muscle. If you want to maintain their tone, you need to give the muscles resistance. Then the strength will increase.

The best parables. The big Book. All countries and eras Mishanenkova Ekaterina Alexandrovna

Chinese parables

Chinese parables

Just repeat

In one Chinese monastery, students practiced a martial movement. One student was not given this movement in any way. No matter how they showed him, no matter how they told him, he could not perform it correctly.

Then the master came up to him and said something to him quietly. The student bowed and left. Training continued without him. The whole day no one saw this student, and the next day, when he took his place among the rest, everyone saw that he performed this movement perfectly.

One of the students asked another who was standing next to the master and could hear what he said to the student:

Did you hear what the master said to him?

- Yes, I heard.

- He told him: "Go to the backyard and just repeat this movement 1600 times."

Turtle

The Chinese emperor sent his ambassadors to a hermit who lived in the mountains in the north of the country. They were supposed to give him an invitation to take the post of prime minister of the empire.

After a long journey, the ambassadors finally approached his dwelling, but it turned out to be empty. Not far from the hut they saw a half-naked man. He sat on a rock in the middle of the river and fished. "Is this man really worthy of being prime minister?" they thought.

The ambassadors began to ask the villagers about the hermit and were convinced of his merits. They returned to the river bank and became polite signs to attract the attention of the angler.

Soon the hermit got out of the water to the shore: akimbo, barefoot.

- What you need? - he asked.

“O venerable one, His Majesty the Emperor of China, having heard of your wisdom and holiness, gives you these gifts. He invites you to take the post of prime minister of the empire.

“Prime Minister of the Empire?”

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

“What, is the emperor completely insane? the hermit laughed, to the great embarrassment of the envoys.

Finally, regaining his composure, he said:

“Tell me, is it true that on the main altar of the imperial sanctuary there is a stuffed tortoise, and its shell is encrusted with sparkling diamonds?”

“Quite right, sir.

“And is it true that once a day the emperor and his family gather at the sanctuary to pay their respects to a diamond-studded tortoise?”

- Truth.

“Now look at this dirty turtle. Do you think she'll agree to switch places with the one in the palace?

“Then go back to the emperor and tell him that I don’t agree either. The living have no place on the altar.

Fox and tiger

One day the tiger got very hungry and ran all over the forest in search of food. Just at that time, on the way, he came across a fox. The tiger was already preparing to eat well, and the fox said to him: “You don’t dare to eat me. I was sent to earth by the Heavenly Emperor himself. It was he who appointed me the head of the world of animals. If you eat me, you will anger the Heavenly Emperor himself.”

Hearing these words, the tiger began to hesitate. However, his stomach didn't stop growling. "What should I do?" thought the tiger. Seeing the confusion of the tiger, the fox continued: “You probably think that I am deceiving you? Then follow me, and you will see how all the animals will scatter in fear at the sight of me. It would be very strange if it happened otherwise.”

These words seemed reasonable to the tiger, and he followed the fox. And indeed, the animals at the sight of them instantly scattered in different directions. The tiger was unaware that the animals were afraid of him, the tiger, and not the cunning fox. Who is afraid of her?

moving on

One day, while traveling around the country, Hing Shi came to a city where the best masters of painting gathered that day and arranged a competition among themselves for the title of the best artist in China. Many skillful masters took part in this competition, they presented many beautiful paintings to the eyes of strict judges.

The competition was already coming to an end when the judges suddenly found themselves in confusion. It was necessary to choose the best of the two remaining paintings. In embarrassment, they looked at the beautiful canvases, whispered among themselves and looked for possible errors in the works. But, no matter how hard the judges tried, they did not find a single flaw, not a single clue that would decide the outcome of the competition.

Hing Shi, watching what was happening, understood their predicament and stepped out of the crowd offering his help. Recognizing the famous sage in the wanderer, the judges happily agreed. Then Hing Shi approached the artists and said:

- Masters, your paintings are beautiful, but I must admit that I myself do not see any flaws in them, like the judges, so I will ask you to honestly and fairly evaluate your works, and then tell me their shortcomings.

After a long examination of his painting, the first artist frankly admitted:

- Teacher, no matter how I look at my picture, I can not find flaws in it.

The second artist stood silently.

“You don’t see the flaws either,” Hing Shi asked.

“No, I'm just not sure which one to start with,” the embarrassed artist answered honestly.

“You won the contest,” Hing Shi said with a smile.

- But why? exclaimed the first artist. “After all, I didn’t even find a single mistake in my work! How could someone win from me who found a lot of them?

– The master, who does not find a flaw in his works, has reached the limit of his talent. A master who notices flaws where others have not found them can still improve. How could I award victory to one who, having completed his path, has reached the same as the one who continues his path? Hing Shi replied.

From the book Live in the Heart author Melchizedek Drunvalo

Chinese Psychic Children I have already talked about them in the Flower of Life books*, but I think it will be important for those who are unfamiliar with them to know. One day in January 1985, I found an article in Omni magazine that talked about super psychic children living in China and

From the book Moon and Big Money author Semenova Anastasia Nikolaevna

Plot on Chinese coins Take three Chinese coins and hold them between your palms. Direct all your thoughts and feelings to your desire. Think about how good it is to have money and how you look forward to it. State your desire for money. Mentally wish for wealth

From the book The Sixth Race and Nibiru author Byazyrev Georgy

CHINESE PYRAMIDS Only he realized his Higher Self who firmly believed that this world is just a mirage of the mind

From the book 78 Tarot tips. How to maintain health, youth and beauty the author Sklyarova Vera

EIGHT OF PENTACLE Chinese recipes Atherosclerosis is the scourge of mankind. But this is the "abundant food" disease. Fatty foods are the enemy of a healthy heart, because they increase the level of cholesterol in the body. The Chinese rarely suffer from cardiovascular diseases, for example, 10 times

From the book Critical Study of the Chronology of the Ancient World. East and Middle Ages. Volume 3 author Postnikov Mikhail Mikhailovich

Chinese chronicles One of the oldest Chinese chronicles is considered (see, p. 12) the book "Shujing" ("Book of History"), written allegedly in the 11th-7th centuries. BC e. (again we see how historians freely rush for centuries), but supplemented later, since the presentation

From the book Best Parables. The big Book. All countries and eras author Mishanenkova Ekaterina Alexandrovna

Persian parables Butterflies and fireThree butterflies, flying up to a burning candle, began to talk about the nature of fire. One, flying up to the flame, returned and said: - The fire is shining. The other flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said: - It burns! The third, having flown up

From the book Pyramids: mysteries of construction and purpose author Sklyarov Andrey Yurievich

Assyrian Parables Arrogant AssThe wild ass looked down on his domestic counterpart and scolded him in every possible way for the servile lifestyle that he led.

From the book Folk signs that attract money, luck, prosperity author Belyakova Olga Viktorovna

Japanese parables Mount Obasute It was a custom in the old days: as soon as the old people were sixty years old, they left them to perish in the distant mountains. So the prince ordered: there is no need to feed extra mouths. When they met, the old people greeted each other: - How time flies! It's time for me to

From the book, the Universe will fulfill your desires. pyramid method author Stephanie Sister

From the book Yoga and Sexual Practices author Douglas Nick

Chinese Talismans There are a lot of feng shui talismans. Three star elders: Fu-xing, Lu-xing and Shou-xing. Fu-xing bestows wealth. He always stands above the others, is located in the center and is depicted surrounded by coins. Lu-xing grants prosperity, protects from trouble

From the book Chinese Miracle Methods. How to live long and be healthy! author Kashnitsky Saveliy

Chinese pyramids The Chinese pyramids are less known than the Egyptian ones. However, in China in 1945, in the agricultural province of Shenxi, near the city of Xianyan, a whole valley of pyramids was discovered (there are about 100 structures in total), built in the third millennium BC.

From the book Taoist Yoga: History, Theory, Practice author Dernov-Pegarev V. F.

From the book Miracle of Health author Pravdina Natalia Borisovna

China's Miracle Method 10: The Best Chinese Healing Recipes Offered for Health Sesame to Strengthen the Liver 5 teaspoons (25 g) of sesame seeds and 50 g of rice are boiled in a glass of water for a quarter of an hour. Then this mixture is eaten once a day for 2 weeks, which strengthens the liver and

From the book The Proclamation of the Buddha the author Karus Paul

Introduction The subject of this study is the so-called "Taoist yoga", a term already familiar to the modern reader, which, however, requires some clarification, because it would be more correct to attribute it to the category of "internal alchemy" (nei tribute) or, more precisely, to Taoist

From the author's book

Chinese principles of proper nutrition Principle 1. How much to eat Chinese medicine prescribes moderation in nutrition. Overeating is harmful, it is better to limit yourself, it is enough to eat 70–80% of what you could

From the author's book

Parables And the Blessed One thought: “I taught the truth, which is magnificent in the beginning, magnificent in the middle and magnificent in the end; it is excellent and glorious in spirit and letter. But although it is simple, people cannot understand it. I must speak to them in their own language. I