Ancient Wisdom

Human life is limited, but knowledge is limitless. To drive the limited in pursuit of the limitless is fatal; and to presume that one really knows is fatal indeed! In doing good, avoid fame. In doing bad, avoid disgrace. Pursue a middle course as your principle. Thus you will guard your body from harm, preserve your life, fulfil your duties by your parents, and live your allotted span of life. 

 There are those who will conquer the world And make of it (what they conceive or desire)     I see that they will not succeed. (For) the world is God's own Vessel It cannot be made (by human interference).      He who makes it spoils it.     He who holds it loses it. For: Some things go forward,          Some things follow behind;          Some blow hot,          And some blow cold;          And some are strong,          And some are weak;           Some may break,          And some may fall Hence the Sage eschews excess,          eschews extravagance,          eschews pride.          

A Lion that had grown old, and had no more strength to forage for food, saw that he must get it by cunning. He went into his den and crept into a corner, and make believe that he was very sick. All the animals about came in to take a look at him, and as they came, he snapped them up. When a good many beasts had been caught in this way, the Fox who guessed his trick, came along. He took his stand a little way from the den, and asked the Lion how he did. The Lion said he was very sick, and begged him to come into the den to see him. "So I would," said the Fox, "but I notice that all the footprints point into the den, and none point out."

  Two scorpions living in the same hole will get along better than two sisters living in the same house. 

Once a Herdsman was tending his cattle when he missed a young Bull, one of the finest of the herd. He went at once to look for hi, but, meeting with no success in his search, he made a vow that, if he should discover the thief, he would sacrifice a calf to Jupiter. Continuing his search, he entered a thicket, where he presently espied a lion devouring the lost Bull. Terrified with fear, he raised his hands to heave and cried, "Great Jupiter, I vowed I would sacrifice a calf to thee if I should discover the thief; but now a full-grown Bull I promise thee if only I find myself escape unhurt from his clutches."

A friend said to me, "Exercise patience, for with patience you can do your work nicely and quickly. Patience brings the water again to the rivulet that has been dry, and makes a thing better than it was before." I replied, "Even if they water returns to the stream, of what use is it to the fish that has already died!" -Anwary, Wit, Humour and Fancy of Persia

People say there is no narcissus with thorns, and no rose without a thorn, but I believe not what they say; because thy narcissus [i.e., eyes] is surrounded with thorns [i.e., the eyelashes], while around thy blossomed rose [the cheeks] there is not a single thorn.  -Moezzi, Wit, Humour and Fancy Of Persia

If you cannot be obedient, you cannot learn anything. Obedience is a part of attention.  You must be obedient to your teacher. From the exercise of this obedience, you will be able to learn how dishonest your mind is.' The lament and supposedly repent of disobedience may be considered a worthy thing to do. It is worthy only for the unworthy: those who cannot aim any higher. If you are given a time, and you arrive at the place of your teacher early, you are highly greedy. If you arrive late, you are being disobedient. If your teacher indicates that for a time you shall not study, and even if he seems to neglect you, it is for a reason. This has often been done when study has become a vice with a person. To try to make him act otherwise towards you is an act of disobedience. 'Sholavi' relates: I first met my Guide when I was sixteen years of age. He agreed to teach me, and gave me three lessons. I did not see him, or even hear him, again until I was forty-one years old. His ...

It is most difficult for love to last long, therefore, who loves passionately is in the end cured of love; human nature is eternal, therefore, who follows is his nature in the end retains his original nature. 

A FIR tree said boastingly to the Bramble, "You are useful for nothing at all; while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The Bramble, made answer: " You, poor creature, if you would only call to mind the axes and saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason to wich that you had grown up a Bramble, not a FIR Tree."

Thus it is with children and children's children, with friends and kinsmen; it is not well to have love for them, for parting from them is inevitable. Come hither from the dark and again gone back into the dark, another knows not thee, and thou knowest not him; who then art thou, and what is anything, that thou lamentest for it? From the stress of desire arises grief, from stress of grief arises pleasure, and from pleasure again arises grief, and again grief. The immediate issue of pleasure is grief, the immediate issue of grief is pleasure; pleasure and grief among men roll round like a wheel. When thou hast passed from pleasure into grief, thou wilt thence pass once more into pleasure; en cannot for ever have grief nor for ever have pleasure. The body is the seat alike of grief and of pleasure. Life also arises together with this body; both wax together, and both together decay. Men are held by the manifold snares of the desires in the world of sense, and they fall away without w...

  In the Book of Songs it is said:          "How deep the fish may dive below,               And yet it is quite clearly seen." Therefore the moral man must examine into his own heart and see that he has no cause for self-reproach, that he has no evil thought in his mind. Wherein the moral man is superior to other men consist even in those things that people do not notice. 

  Of the best rulers     The people (only) know that they exist;     The next best they love and praise;     The next they fear;     And the next they revile.     When they do not command the people's faith,     Some will lose faith in them,     And then they resort to oath!     But (of the best) when their task is accomplished,      Their work done,     The people will remark, "We have done it ourselves."

Once the father wrote out a word and taught it to his small son. The next day the son was hanging around when the father was mopping the table. With a corner of his wet mop the father traced over the word on the table and asked the son to read it. The son did not know how. "Why, this is the same word I taught you yesterday," the father said. "It's grown much bigger overnight," the son answered wide-eyed.

What a beauty! What a sweet voice! The donkey says to the camel, 'What a beauty you are;' the latter, not to be outdone, answers,' what a sweet voice you have.'

  ' Nasrudin ' my son, get up early in the morning.' 'Why, Father?' 'It is a good habit. Once I rose at dawn and went for a walk. I found on the road a sack of gold.' 'How did you know it was not lost the previous night?' 'That is not the point. In any case, it had not been thee the night before. I noticed that.' 'Then it is not lucky for everyone to get u early. The man who lost the gold must have been earlier than you.'

 ' Mulla Nasrudin' saw a man sitting disconsolately at the way side, and asked what ailed him. 'There is nothing of interest in life, brother,' said the man; 'I have sufficient capital not to have to work, and I am on this trip only in order to seek something more interesting than the life I have at home. So far I haven't found it.' Without another word, Nasrudin seized the traveller's knapsack and made off down the road with it, running like a hare. Since he knew the area, he was able to out-distance him. The road curved, and Nasrudin cut across several loops, with the result that he was soon back on the road ahead of the man whom he had robbed. He put the bag by the side of the road and waited in concealment for the other to catch up. Presently the miserable traveller appeared, following the tortuous road, more unhappy than ever because of his loss. As soon as he saw his property lying there, he ran towards it, shouting with joy. 'That's one...

The Lion, The Ass, and The Fox made a contract to hunt together. When they had caught a good supply of game, they came to eat it, and the Lion order the Ass to divide the spoils. So the Ass divided it into three equal parts, and called on each to choose his portion. At that the Lion fell into a rage, and made his supper off the Ass. Then the Lion told the Fox to divide it, and he put almost all the game into one great heap for the Lion, and saved only a small pit for himself. Then the Lion said: "My good fellow, who taught you to divide so well?"  And the Fox said: "That dead Ass there."

A Hen laid an egg each day. The Mistress thought that if she gave her more to eat, she would lay twice as much. So she did. The Hen grew fat and stopped laying.

Looked at, but cannot be seen-     That is called the Invisible Listen to, but cannot be heard-     That is called the Inaudible Grasped at, but cannot be touched-     That is called the Intangible. These three elude all our inquiries And hence blend and become One. Not by its rising, is there light, Not by its sinking, is there darkness.     Unceasing, continuous,     It cannot be defined, And reverts again to the realm of nothingess. That is why it is called the Form of the Formless, The Image of Nothingness. That is why it is called the Elusive:     Meet it and you do not see its face;     Follow it and you do not see its back. He who holds fast to the Tao of old     In order to manage the affairs of Now Is able to know the Primeval Beginnings     Which are the continuity of Tao. The Book Of Tao by Lao Tzu

"Fire and heat are generated when fuel is burnt. When energy is released at a point of energy has been consumed at another, according to the principles of thermodynamics. When you see super-development taking place in one country be sure that exploitation of human and physical resources has taken place in another. As the South American writers like to stress: "The richest of the developed countries should be explained in terms of the poverty of the undeveloped." Canaan Banana The Gospel According to the Ghetto

  A rain drop, dripping from a cloud, Was ashamed when it saw the sea 'Who am I where there is a sea? it said When it saw itself with the eye of humility, A shell nurtured it in its embrace.

Pluck the cotton wool of heedlessness from the ear of awareness, So that the wisdom of dead men may reach your ear

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 daylight. He found an opening which he filled up, to prevent misfortune entering. In blocking this door he made himself a prisoner with his own hands. And because of this the king died.

  If your heart hasn't had enough of us          Please don't ever be heedless of us. We're snared by the flames of heart,          making such a slaughtered bird of us. Vision is shedding tears of blood;          each day we move a thousand times. Like a spring cloud you weep bitterly          and the blood makes the soil muddy for us. In the end, which of your novice desires          willy-nilly sicken your heart of us? Either become one with our suffering          or detach the strings of love from us. Don't flee from us, even though there's been          nothing but pain and disaster for us. Every pain breaks open the seal          of talismans keeping the wealth from us. Attar isn't in this state          just mad with love; he's is the sanity in us.

A Monkey once danced in the assembly of the Beasts and impressed them by his outstanding performance. Based on his performance Beasts decided to elect him as a King. A Fox was not happy with the decision as she was envious with the Monkey. She discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap and leading the Monkey to the place where it was said: "here is a store of treasure, but had not used it, but kept it for him as a treasure trove of his kingdom who will find it" Due to carless attitude of the Monkey, he decided to achieve the treasure therefore he was caught in the trap. He accused the Fox who purposely leading him into the snare and she replied: "O Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?"

Favour and disgrace are likely to cause a fear. Highly respect great trouble as one respects hi own body. What is meant by favour' and disgrace'     are likely to cause fear"? Favour is for the inferior:     Obtaining it, one will fear it.     Losing it, one will fear it. This means that 'favour and disgrace'     are likely to cause fear." What is meant by 'highly respecting great trouble     as one respects his own body"?     "I have great trouble because I have a body;     When I no longer have a body, how can I have trouble?" Therefore, one who respects himself for the world     can be lodged with it; One who loves himself for the world     can be entrusted with it." Lao Tzue

The ' Caliph Haroun' ,in all his magnificence, was in need of a lesson in the relative nature of power and possession. He asked to the Sage, "Ask a favour of me." 'Shaqiq' asked him whether he would give on-half of his realm to someone who would give him a drink of water, if he were dying of thirst in a desert. And, continued the Sufi, would he give the other half to someone who enabled him to pass that water, if he had become unable to do so? 'Haroun' said that he would. Now ' Shaqiq' asked the Caliph to reflect why he valued his kingdom so highly, when it was something which could be given away in return for a drink of water, which itself does not stay with one. 

  At one point in his life, the entire of population of his village had had enough of the pleasantries and confusion of ' Mulla Nasrudin.' They all went to the magistrate, and he gave a ruling: ' Nasrudin , by the will of the people I have to declare that you must leave the village.' 'Are they unanimous?" asked the Mulla. 'Yes, I am afraid to.' 'Then I refuse to go. There are plenty of them-and only one of me. If they don't like the village as it is, they can leave and build another one. But I, a single individual, how can I even start to build one small house for myself elsewhere?'

  ' Chuangtze ' and ' Huitze ' had strolled onto the bridge over the ' Hao ', when the former observed, "See how the minnows are darting about! That is the pleasure of fishes." "You not being yourself a fish," said ' Huitze ', "how can you possible know in what the pleasure of fishes consist?" "And you not being I, "retorted ' Chuangtze ', "how can you know that I do not know?" "That I, not being you, do not know what you know," replied ' Huitze ," is identical with my argument that you, not being a fish, cannot know in what the pleasure of fishes consists." "Let us go back to your original question," said ' Chuangtze ' "You ask me how I know in what consist the pleasure of fishes. Your basic question shows that you knew I knew. I knew it from my own feelings on the bridge." Chuangtze, The Humour of Philosophy

Once in the meandering embrace of river, two pots journeyed down stream- one fashioned from humble earthenware, the other gleaming in brass. Their destiny was same. The Earthen Pot, its fragile form echoing vulnerability, addressed the Brass Pot with caution: " Keep at a distance, my friend,  and do not come near me; for if you touch me ever so slightly, I shall be broken into pieces; and besides, I by no means wish to come near you."  Thus, the river carried them onward, each pot clinging to its essence-the delicate and the unyielding-bound by the currents of fate. In their separation, they found purpose:one to cradle, the other to endure, both essential in their fragility and strength.

There was a ruffian in Tientsin during the Boxer trouble who always demanded two dollars for carrying a person's luggage. Even if the luggage was very light, he said he wanted two dollars. Even if the distance was very small, he still wanted two dollars. Even if the person didn't want him to carry the luggage at all, he still wanted two dollars. The ruffian's conduct was execrable, but his insistent spirit was admirable. The same may be applied to demanding women's rights. If one says to you, "This is outmoded," your answer is , "I want women's rights." If one says to you, "this is unworthy of you," your answer still is, "I want women's rights." If one says to you, "Don't be anxious. Everything will be well when the economic system is changed, "your answer still should be, "I want women's rights."

I think it is difficult to say whether there is such a thing as hope or not. Hope is like a road in the country where there was never a road, but when many people started to walk on it, the road comes into existence. 

Once upon a time there was a baby elephant who heard someone say: "Look, there is a mouse." The person who said it was looking at a mouse- but the elephant thought that he was referring to him. Now, there were very few mice in that country, and in any case they tended to stay in their holes, and their voices were not very loud. But the baby elephant thundered around, ecstatic at his discovery, "I am a mouse!" He said it so loudly and so often, and to so many people that-believe it or not-there is no an entire country where almost everyone believes that elephant, and particularly baby elephants, are mice. It is true that from time to time mice have tried to remonstrate with those who hold the majority belief: but they have always been put to flight. And if anyone ever wants to reopen the question of mice and elephants in those parts, he had better have a good reason, strong nerves and an effective mens of parting his case. 

We live in an era where frivolity reigns, and the pursuit of wealth has taken our unconventional forms. In the world dominated by TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, some have carved out lucrative careers as renowned influencers, while others clutter these plate forms with trivial content in hopes of fleeting fame. These AI-driven applications lack clear standards for popularity, putting serious professions at risk. A casual swipe through the feeds of popular apps can lead to hours lost in a sea of meaningless and often indecent videos, ensnaring us in their addictive grasp. Like chewing gum, we mindlessly consume these reels, only to be left with nothing substantial.  Without delving into research, we can discern two distinct trends: a dance video on Facebook or Instagram is likely to garner likes, and humorous or frivolous content can captivate millions, akin to a street performer drawing a crowd. In contract, intellectual discourse, such as a professor's lecture, seldom ac...

A street entertainer had a monkey show, and one day after making the collection from an audience the monkey held on to a coin and refused to give it to his master. The man first tried to bribe the monkey with some nuts and biscuits, then he dangled a little embroidered jacket before the animal's eyes, but no matter what he did the monkey backed away and would not relinquish the money.  Finally, in a rage, the man started cursing his partner. "You dumb beast!" he cried. "If you do not care for food or clothing then what do you want the money for?"

A quack killed one of his patients and, as a result, was bound hand and foot by the bereaved family. At night he struggled loose, dived into a river, and made his escape. His son was busy studying the medicine books when he got home. "Never mind studying medicine, my boy," he blurted out. "It's more important to learn swimming."  

Once Yangtze passed through 'Sung' and stayed in an inn. The inn had two waitresses. The ugly one of them was esteemed but the beautiful one was despised. Therefore 'Yangtze' asked the reason. In reply the old innkeeper said: "The beautiful one thinks so much of her own beauty but I never notice her being so beautiful. The ugly one is so conscious of her own ugliness, but I never notice her being so ugly." Therefore 'Yangtze' said to his disciples: "Who practices worthiness and abandons the aptitude for self-esteem, would be praised wherever he goes."

Once an old woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old wine, and which still retained the fragment smell of its former contents. She greedily placed it several time to her nose, and drawing it backwards and forwards said, "O most delicious! How nice must the wine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which contained it so sweet a perfume!"

Once I wrote a long email to my professor who was abroad. In this email, I wrote about my difficulties I was facing, suffering I was going through, problems I was having at that time, etc. The email was full of complaints about office, about friends and about the unjust world. He replied me in single line: "My son! Life is never easy."

Some boys, anxious to play a practical joke on the Khoja , asked him to climb a tree, their purpose was to run away with his sandals. They informed the Khoja that no one had ever been able to climb that particular tree, and the Khoja , always a sportsman, despite his years and the restrictions imposed on him by his sacred profession, at once said that he could do it; whereupon the boys, of course, told him stoutly that he could not, and persuaded him to try. The  Khoja  immediately accepted the challenge, and gathered up the skirts of his robe which he tied round his waist to give his limbs freedom. Then taking off his sandals he placed them in his bosom and began to climb the tree. Naturally the boys were disappointed and hurt on seeing the sandals go up the tree as well as the  Khoja , and it was not without asperity that they asked the holy man what he was going to do with his sandals in the tree.  "O, " said the  Khoja , some what taken a back "I - I need t...

Once Mulla entered into a vegetable garden. He collected such vegetables as he felt he required at the moment or might require later on. The gardener happened to come upon the scene, however; and speaking loudly, he inquired what the holy man was doing there. Without any hesitation, the Mulla replied mildly that the wind had blown him thither.  The gardener then asked how it came to pass that those vegetables which belonged to him, the gardener, happened to be in the Mulla's hands, and how a number of other vegetables had managed to get stowed away in the Mulla's bosom. In a benignant voice, Nasrudin answered, saying that the wind was so violent that, in trying to save himself from being overturned, he had caught at anything and everything which came in his way, with the result that those vegetables had got into his hands and into the breast of his garment. "But what about these vegetables in the sack?" continued the gardener, whose manner was becoming decidedly impo...

An owl met a quail, and the quail asked, "Where are you going?" The owl replied: "I am going east." May I ask why?" then asked the quail. The people of the village hate my screeching noise," replied the old. "That is why I am going east." Then said the quail, "What you should do is to change that screeching noise. If you can't, you will be hated for it even if you east."                                                                                                         -Liu Hsiang

There was once a good man. He had spent his whole life in cultivating the qualities enjoined upon those who would reach Paradise. He gave freely to the poor, he loved his fellow creatures and he served them. Remembering the need to have patience, he endured great and unexpected hardships, often for the sake of others. He made journeys in search of knowledge. His humility and exemplary behaviour were such that his repute as a wise man and good citizen resounded from the East to the West, and from the North to the South. All these qualities he did indeed exercise-whenever he remembered to do so. But he had one shortcoming, and that was 'heedlessness'. This tendency was not strong on him, and he considered that, balanced against the other things which he did practise, it could only be regarded as a small fault. There were some poor people whom he did not help, because time to time he was insensitive to their needs. Love and service, too, was sometimes forgotten when what he though...

Once a man had travelled in foreign lands, boasted very much about his heroic things after returning to his own country. He said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him-and as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it, and whom he could call as witnesses. One of the bystanders interrupting him, said: "Now, my good man, we accept that this be all true there is no need of any witnesses. Suppose this is Rhodes; try to make your leap as you have done in Rhodes."

A tailor became a soldier, and in a battle was wounded in the head, with an arrow. The surgeon told him not to fear the result, for the arrow had not penetrated to the brain. "I had not fear of that," said the tailor, "for had i the least particle of brains, should not have left my profession and come here."

  In the heart of the countryside, thee lived a rustic man who faced with the challenge of crossing a river. He meticulously surveyed the river's length, seeking the most navigable point to ford. As he tested the waters, he stumbled upon a profound realisation. He noticed that the parts of the river where the water flowed silently were, in fact, the deepest. Conversely, the areas where the river roared and splashed were the shallowest. The observation served as a metaphorical lesson for him, teaching him that appearance can often be deceptive. 

A man with a sensitive stomach once visited a doctor. When questioned about the cause of his ailment, he responded, " I consumed burnt bread." And the physician said to him: "Go to eye surgeon for checking your eyes or use glasses for your better vision." The patient expressed, "My query was not regarding my eyes, but rather about my stomach." The doctor then advised him, "Consult an ophthalmologist to examine your eyes, or consider using spectacles to improve your vision." And the man was surprised and asked: "I did not ask thee about mine eyes, but about my belly." The doctor advised, “I understand your concerns, but I recommend using glasses or consulting an eye surgeon to check your vision. This will help you discern if the bread is burnt, preventing you from consuming it.”

One the ' Mulla' went with a friend to the den of a wolf in order to see the cubs. The ' Mulla' persuaded his friend to go into the den and bring out the young wolves. The friend descended into the cave while the ' Mulla' kept watching. The mother wolf was abroad, but returned in haste at the first cry of her cubs. Just as the furious animal was disappearing into the hole, the ' Mulla' seized its desperate struggles. His friend angrily called out to him asking why he was throwing in so much dust and dirt on top of him, whereupon, in a chocked voice, he ' Mulla' replied: "If the wolf's tail breaks you will soon see what the dust and dirt mean!"

Once ' Mulla Nasrudin Effendi' had a difference with his wife, who told him in great anger to go away, pointing the direction in which he was to go. The Mulla immediately obeyed her, and set off in the direction she had ordered him to take. After a few days hard travelling he met a man coming in the opposite direction, whom he begged to go and ask his wife if he had travelled far enough, or must he continue to go on.