Ancient Wisdom

In the days of R.Joshua ben Chananyah , the wicked ruler gave permission to rebuild the Temple. [But the Samaritans plotted against this and arranged that the condition should be that it should be rebuilt on a different site, which would destroy its sacro-sanctity. The Jews on receiving the message met in the Vale of Beth Rimon and midest tears and cries determined to disobey the Emperor's command. ' R. Joshua ben Chananya' was sent to quiet them.] He went to them and told them this fable: "A lion had devoured a beast and a bone thereof stuck in his throat. He issued the proclamation, "Whoever will come and take out this bone for me, shall receive his reward." An Egyptian partridge came by, which has a long beak: it put this into the lion's jaws and pulled out the bone. "Give me my reward," it thereupon said to the lion.  "Go," answered he, "thou caust laugh and say that thou has gone in and out of a lion's jaws in safety....

A king who was also an astrologer read in his stars that on a certain day and at a particular hour a calamity would overtake him. He therefore built a house of solid rock and posted numerous guardians outside. One day, when he was within, he realised that he could still see day light. He found an opening which he filled up, to prevent misfortune entering. In blocking this door he made himself a prisoner with his own hand. And because of this the king died. 

Nasrudin was trotting his donkey in all direction one day. Someone asked him, 'where are you going, Nasrudin?' He replied: 'I am looking for my donkey!'

Once upon a time the Sun plan to get wife. As soon as this news spread, the Frogs in terror all raised their voiced to the skies, and Jupiter, disturbed by the noise, asked them what they were croaking about. They replied, "We have heart that the Sun going to married. He is so hot even when he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat as he does. But what will become of us if he marries and begets other Suns?" 

' Tselu, Tseng Hsi, Jan Ch'iu and Kunghsi Hua were sitting together one day and Confucius said, " Do not think that I am a little bit older than you and therefore am assuming airs. You often say among yourselves that people don't know you. Suppose someone know you, I should like to know how you would appear to that person." 'Tselu' immediately replied, " I should like to rule over a country with a thousand carriages, situated between two powerful neighbours, involved in war and suffering from famine. I should like to take charge of such a country and in three years, the nation will become strong and orderly."  Confucius smiled at this remark and said, "How about you, Ah Ch'iu. " 'Jan Ch'iu replied, "Let me have a country sixty or seventy li square or perhaps only fifty or sixty li square. Put it in my charge, and in three years the people will have enough to eat, but as for teaching them moral order and music, I shall...

Confucius said: "I am not born a wise man. I'm merely one in love with ancient studies and work very hard to learn them."  Confucius said: "That there are some people who do not understand a subject, but go ahead and invent things out of their own head. I am not like those people. One can come to be a wise man by hearing a great deal and following the good, and by seeing a great deal and remembering it."

  ' Harmuzd , being asked what was the fault of father of your viziers that he imprisoned them. He replied: " I discovered no fault. I saw that boundless awe of me had taken root in their hearts but that they had no full confidence in my promises, wherefore I apprehended that they, fearing calamities would befall them, might attempt m life and I acted according to the maxim of sages who have said: "Dread him who dreads thee, O sage, Although thou couldst cope with a hundred like him. Seest though not when the cat becomes desperate How he plucks out with his claws the eyes of a tiger? The viper stings the shepherd's foot Because it fears he will strike his head with a stone..

Confucius said: "I won't teach a man who is not anxious to learn, and will not explain to one who is not trying to make things clear to himself. And if I explain one-fourth and the man doesn't go back and reflect and think out of the implication in the remaining three-fourths for himself, I won't bother to teach him again."

The Penumbra said to the Umbra. "At one moment you move: at another you are at rest. At one moment you sit down; at another you get up. Why this instability of purpose?" "Perhaps I depend," replied the Umbra, "upon something which causes me to do as I do; and perhaps that something depends in turn upon something else which cases it to do as it does. Or perhaps my dependence is like (the unconscious movements) of a snake's scale or of cicada's wings. How can I tell why I do one thing, or why I do not do another?"

 Exalt not the wise     So that the people shall not scheme and contend: Prize not rare objects,     So that the people shall not steal; Shut out from sight the things of desire,     So that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed. Therefore in the government of the Sage:     He keeps empty their hearts     Make full their bellies,     Discourage their ambitions,     Strengthens their frames So that the people may be purified of their thoughts and desires. And the cunning ones shall not presume to interfere.     By action without deeds     May all live in peace. 

'Po-yu' did wrong and he cried when his mother chastised him with stick. "You never used to cry when I thrashed you," said his mother. "Why do you cry today?" He answered, "when I did wrong and you thrashed me it always used to hurt. But this time Mother's strength is such that it does not hurt. 'That is why I cry."

Once a Corn-crake made a nest in the meadow late in the year, and mowing time his Mate was still sitting on her eggs. Early in the morning the peasants came to the meadow, took off their coats, whetted their scythes, to put it down in rows. The Corn-crake flew up to see what the mowers were doing. When he saw a peasant swing his scythe and cut a snake in tow, he rejoiced and flew back to his Mate and said: "Don't fear the peasants! They have come to cut the snakes to pieces; they have given us no rest for quite awhile." But his Mate said: "The peasants are cutting the grass, and with the grass they are cutting everything which is in their way, -the snakes, and the Corn-crake's nest, and the Corn-crake's head.  My heart forebodes nothing good: but I cannot carry away the eggs, nor fly from the nest, for fear of chilling them." When the mowers came to the nest of the Corn-crake, one of the peasants swung his scythe and cut of the head of the Corn-crake...

  I am fortunate to have friends worldwide who provide me with direct and indirect feedback about us Pakistanis. Understanding Pakistan can be challenging if you haven’t visited. However, those who have had the opportunity to visit and interact with the locals have countless enchanting stories to share. Over the past forty years, face-to-face interactions between Europeans and Pakistanis have been minimal, primarily due to the wave of terrorism since 2001 and the influence of Talibanisation and emerging extremism. Pakistan’s uniqueness lies in its geographical diversity: it boasts the Arabian Sea, towering mountains like K2, the stunning lakes of the Northern Areas, the Cholistan Desert, historical buildings, and ancient civilisations like Harappa and 'Mohenjo-Daro'. It is also home to rivers, canals, and agricultural land. The country experiences a wide range of climates. In one part, temperatures can reach 52 degrees, while another part might be blanketed in snow. This geogra...

Once a young man said to his friend, "I have just seen a house fall down due to heave rain." Now, the friend to whom he told this news had received education in English Schools and he was well versed in English. He told him, "Just a minute. Let me look it up in the newspaper?" He read the paper but could not find the news of a house falling down with a heavy rain. Thereupon he said to his friend: "Well, I don't believe you. It isn't the paper; so it is all false."

A man was used to celebrate the ' Durga Puja' at his house with great pomp. Goats were sacrificed from sunrise to sunset. People were invited to celebrate it from every where. But after a few years this man stopped celebration of the 'Durga Puja' and thought it was useless fo sacrifice Goats on this special day.  Someone came to him and asked: "How is it, sir, that the sacrifice at your place has become such a fame affair?"  He replied: "Don't you see. My teeth are gone now. I can't eat goat more." [Sri Krishnarama]

The great lawgiver Moses was on his way to see God, to ask for guidance about his future work. One the way he met a mendicant, who said: 'Where are you going, Moses?" 'I am on my way to see God.' 'When you see him, will you say that I am poor and that I do not know what to do to improve my condition?" Moses undertook to ask. Presently he came upon a very rich man, who asked: "Where are you going, Moses?" "To see God." "When you do, will you ask him what I am to do?" I have too much money, and still he showers it upon me. Moses agreed to ask. 'Eventually, Moses met God, and said: 'Lord! I have come to ask how I should carry on the work. And I have to ask for advice about two men whom I met on the way.' He told God about the rich man and the poor man. God said: 'O Moses! You ask me to tell you how to continue with your work. But in the cases of the rich and the poor me you did not do what you already knew was equitab...

Once a Dog, with a bit of meat in his mouth, was crossing a river. Looking down he saw his image in the water, and thought it was another dog, with a bigger piece. So he dropped what he had, and jumped into the water after the other piece. thus he lost both pieces: the other he really had, which he dropped; and the other he wanted, which was no piece at all. 

Once upon a time, in a land where religious tension was rife, a man found himself standing before a group of religious extremists. His mission was daunting - to transform these individuals, known for their fiery sermons and divisive speeches, into tolerant beings. As he stepped into the room on that fateful Friday, he was met with a sea of stern faces. The room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional whisper of, “Oh Sir! Teach whatever you want to teach.” The question hung in the air, “Why have you invited us?” The man felt a wave of confusion and embarrassment wash over him. He had never encountered such a situation before, and he was at a loss for what to do next. He had come prepared with booklets, attendance sheets, and registration forms, but they lay untouched. The men refused to sign anything, their distrust palpable. But the man was not one to be easily deterred. Gathering his courage, he began to weave a tale. He spoke of an old man who had four sons, e...

One day ' Shibli' (Muslim Saint) noticed a block of wood was slowly burning. Being slightly wet, it was oozing out a viscid liquid at its other end. ' Shibli' drew the attention of his disciples to it and said to them pointedly: "Ye professionaists of the Path of Love, how do you say that you are burning in the Love of separation, when I do not see any tears in your eyes?" Take lesson from this piece of wood, how it burns and how it weeps."

In the heart of a dense forest, a man embarked on a mission. With the sun peeking through the foliage, he selected a sturdy tree and began his work. The rhythmic sound of his saw slicing through the wood echoed through the woods. He skillfully elevated the tree’s end onto a stump, straddling it, and resumed his task. With precision, he drove a wedge into the sawed split, continuing his work. He then removed the wedge, driving it further down the split. High above, a curious monkey perched on a tree branch, her eyes fixed on the man. Intrigued by his actions, she decided to mimic him. As the man succumbed to the lull of sleep, the monkey seized the opportunity. She positioned herself astride the tree, attempting to replicate the man’s actions. However, when she removed the wedge, the tree snapped back, trapping her tail. Caught in an unexpected predicament, the monkey began to tug at her tail, her cries piercing the tranquility of the forest. The man, awakened by the commotion, found th...

A powerful king, ruler of many domains, was in a position magnificence that wise men were his mere employees. And yet one day he felt himself confused and called the sages to him. He said: "I do not know the cause, but something impels me to seek a certain ring, one that will enable me to stabilise my state. 'I must have such a ring. And this ring must be one which, when I am unhappy, will make my joyful. At the same time, if I am happy and look upon it, I must be made sad.' The wise men consulted one another, and threw themselves into deep contemplation, and finally they came to a decision as to the character of this ring which would suit their king. The ring which they devised was one upon which was inscribed the legend: "This, too, will pass. "

  'Mulla Nasrudin Effendi' entered the teahouse and declaimed: "Oh People, the Moon is more useful than the Sun.' People asked with curiosity, "Why, Mulla?" "We need the light more during the night than during the day."

A Widow, thrifty and industrious, had two servants whom she kept pretty hard at work. They were not allowed to sleep late at the early  as the  old lady force them to wake up as soon as the cock crew. They disliked it to  get up at such an hour, especially in winter time: and they thought that if it not for the cock waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they could sleep longer. So they caught it and wrung his neck. But they were not prepared for the consequences. For what happened was that their Mistress, not hearing the cock crow as usual, waked them up earlier than ever, and set them to work in the middle of the night.

  A man once found himself in a predicament when his outdoor Sui Gas meter was stolen. He reported the theft to the Sui Gas office, only to be handed a lengthy procedure list. The first step was to file a First Investigation Report (FIR) at the local police station. The police station visit was an ordeal, filled with endless questions. However, a swift exchange of five hundred rupees from his friend to the investigation officer expedited the FIR process. With the FIR in hand, they returned to the Sui Gas office to lodge their complaint, only to be met with a seemingly endless procedure involving meter deposits and charges. Upon returning home, his friend made a startling proposition: for a ten-thousand-rupee bribe, he could have a new meter installed within 24 hours. Skeptical, the man agreed to a bet. To his astonishment, a broken Sui Gas meter was hanging outside his home the very next day. A month later, while at work, he received a call from home. The Sui Gas team was there, pu...

Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond. They saw some frogs swimming about in the shallow water. They started to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones. With their stones they killed several frogs. At last one of the Frogs dare to put his head out of the water and said: "Oh, stop! stop!, I beg of you: what is sport to you is death to us."

 ' Tsekung ' once asked Confucius, "Do dead men know what is going on, do they not?" Confucius answered: "If I were to say that dead men know what is going on I am afraid all of the filial sons and grandsons would inconvenience the living in order to accommodate the dead. But if I were to say that dead men don't know what is going on, I am afraid that unfilial offspring would just leave their dead unburied. Now Ssu , if you wish you know whether or not dead men know, wait until you die and you will know soon enough!"

Every person carries tow Packs, one in front, the other behind, and each is full of faults. But the one in front holds other people's faults, the one behind holds his own faults. Therefore it is that all people do not see their own faults at all, but see very clearly the faults of others. 

Once Junaid's (a famous Muslim saint) followers came to him with a purse containing five hundred of gold coins. He offered this money to the Sufi Saint who asked him: "Have you any more money than this?" "Yes, I have," answered the follower. The saint again asked him: "Do you desire more?" He replied: "Of course, I do." 'Then you must keep it, for you are more in need than I, for I have nothing and desire nothing. You have a great deal and still want more." '

Once the Moon was asked: "What is your strongest desire?" It answered: "That the Sun should vanish, and should remain veiled for ever in clouds.'

Once upon a time an astronomer was gazing at the stars and trying to read their movements. He went out of the village to read the shining stars on the sky. While he was looking into the sky, he fell into a ditch. He got injured and cried for help. A passer by heard his voice in agony and stopped to see what was the matter.  The passer by asked the astronomer, "What happened to you? " How do you fell into the ditch? The astronomer replied, " I was grazing at stars and fell into this ditch." The passer by replied, "Ah, sir, when you are trying to read what is in the sky, I am surprised you do not see what is on the earth?" 1of4  

  At the tender age of 23, I found myself working as a volunteer for an NGO. My role was to mobilise school teachers to organise a study trip to the National Museum of Science and Technology before the summer vocation. On sweltring day, June 5, 1991, I sought permission to meet the head teacher of the corporation school. The head teacher, a man of about 58 years with only two years left until his retirment, was seated in his chair. As I began to explain the purpose of my visit, he interrupted me. "Oh, young man," he began, "I pity your youth. Nothing will change here. Why are you wasting your youth?" Go back, try for the civil services, find a good job. Leave this volunteer work....? His words left me embarrassed, confused, and shocked. Gathering my courage, I addressed him, "My dear teacher, someone once asked a football why people kick it?" The football replied, "I was hanging in a sports shop. Someone came in, pumped air into me, and then people st...