Fables That Fix Lives: Ancient Code for Modern Problems

  An old crow in the south had a son old enough to learn how to cry. “My voice is really ugly and nobody likes me in this world,” thought the old crow. “I can’t change my voice, but I’ll have my son change his.” One day she took her son to the magpie and said to him, “My son wants to be your student so that he can learn how to cry beautifully. If in the future my son’s voice becomes beautiful and everyone in this world likes him, I shall be very grateful and repay you with a handsome reward.” The magpie accepted the young crow and taught him how to cry like a magpie, but no matter how hard the crow tried, he could never do it right. This upset the magpie. He started to peck at and beat the crow, who still couldn’t change his ugly voice. Looking at him hopelessly, the magpie said to the crow, “I can never make you change your voice.” Then he asked him to go back. When the crow got home, he started to imitate his moth­er’s voice and before long, he learned how to cry like a c...

  A Fowler in the East once went to a wood, scattered some grain on the ground, spread a net over it with some lime in it, and was watching from a distance to see what luck would attend his efforts. A great many birds assembled on the trees around the net, and said, "What fine corn that is! We can seldom hope to get anything like it." An owl that was close by said, "How nice that white thing in the net is!" "What is it?" said the birds. "Why, it is our best friend in the world; it is lime. When it holds us in its embrace, we can never hope to get away." The birds left the place at once. Said the fowler, "A clever bird knows the lime!" #CorporateExploitation #Neocolonialism #GlobalEconomy #ForeignInvestment #EconomicTraps #ThirdWorldStruggles #BusinessEthics #SustainableDevelopment #BewareTheBait # ModernSlavery

Once upon a time, four owls went out, each to a part of the world, to see how people liked things, ill and false, and came back to tell of what they had seen. To owl that went north said, "I saw by a stream, the fish make mouths at the birds. They further said, 'Look at our fins and their wings, how queer they are!" The owl that went south said, "I saw on a hill a fly of fair hues go by the door of hive; the bees said, "Look, he has come to beg of us for some food.' The fly said to a friend of his, 'These rogues, I mean the bees, stole the sweets from the blooms when the air was dry, so now I have naught to eat when it is cold." The owl that went east said, "I saw in a wood a pard go out from his den. The wolf went with him a few yards, came back, and said to a friend of his, 'The pard is a knave, yet I cling to him, for he is strong." The owl that went west said, "I saw a bear pass by a lion's den. A fox close by said the bea...

  Colors blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavors numb the taste. Thoughts weaken the mind. Desire withers the heart. The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky. [Lao Tzu]

  A man was deeply irritated by the egrets that kept coming to catch fish in his pond. To scare them away, he placed a scarecrow by the pond—dressed in a straw rain cape and a straw hat, with a bamboo pole in its hand. At first, the egrets were frightened by the scarecrow and only dared to hover nearby. But when they realized it was nothing more than a dummy, they swooped down to catch fish again. Some even perched on its straw hat, looking carefree and content. Seeing this, the man had a new idea. He removed the scarecrow and stood there himself, dressed in the same straw rain cape and hat. As usual, the egrets returned—some even landed on his hat. But this time, one unlucky egret couldn’t escape. When the other egrets saw their companion caught, they fled in fear. Flapping its wings desperately, the trapped egret cried, “Fake! Fake!” “Before, it was fake,” the man mocked. “Now how can you say it’s still fake?”

  A porcupine, searching for shelter, asked some snakes to let him into their cave. The snakes agreed and allowed him inside. However, they soon regretted their kindness, as his sharp, prickly quills made their home unbearable. Annoyed and uncomfortable, they begged him to leave and give them back their cave. But the porcupine refused. "If anyone dislikes it here," he said, "let them be the ones to leave. As for me, I’m quite comfortable where I am."  

Empty your mind of all thoughts. Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of beings, but contemplate their return. Each separate being in the universe return to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity. It you don't realize the source, your stumble in confusion and sorrow. When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king. Immersed in the wonder of the Tao, you can deal with whatever life brings you, and when death comes, you are ready.

  One day, a stork moved its nest from a mound outside the city gate to a pillar at the entrance of a graveyard. The keeper of the yard noticed this and hurried to inform Ziyou, a local official of Wucheng. “Storks always know when rain is coming,” the keeper said. “Now that it has moved its nest, there must be a flood on the way.” “You’re right,” Ziyou agreed. He immediately ordered the townspeople to prepare boats. A few days later, heavy rain poured down, and the river swelled, flooding the mound where the stork had once lived. The downpour continued relentlessly, and soon, even the pillar—along with the nest perched upon it—was nearly submerged. The stork circled above its drowning nest, crying out in distress, unsure where to go next. “How tragic!” Ziyou sighed. “Though the stork is wise, its foresight is still limited.”

One sunny afternoon, a clam emerged from the riverbank, spreading its shell wide to soak in the warm sunlight. Nearby, a hungry snipe spotted the exposed clam and swooped down, aiming to snatch its tender flesh. But the clam was quick—it snapped its shell shut, trapping the snipe’s beak in a tight grip. The snipe, unable to free itself, hissed, "If the sun stays hot and no rain falls for two days, you’ll dry out and die!" Unshaken, the clam retorted, "And if I don’t let you go, you’ll starve before then!" Neither would back down. Their fierce standoff lasted so long that a passing fisherman noticed them—and with a swift motion, he captured them both.  

  The fair was in full swing when ‘ Nasrudin ’s senior disciple asked if he and his fellow students might visit it. "Certainly," said ‘ Nasrudin ’, "for this is an ideal opportunity to continue practical teaching." The ‘ Mulla ’ headed straight for the shooting gallery—one of the fair's great attractions, where large prizes were offered for even a single bulls eye. As ‘ Nasrudin ’ and his flock appeared, townsfolk gathered around. When the ‘ Mulla ’ himself took up the bow and three arrows, tension mounted. Surely, they thought, this would prove ‘Nasrudin’ had finally overreached himself. "Study me attentively," said the ‘Mulla’ . He flexed the bow, tilted his cap back like a soldier, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow flew wide of the mark. A roar of derision erupted from the crowd. ‘Nasrudin’s pupils stirred uneasily, muttering among themselves. The ‘Mulla’ turned and faced them. "Silence! This was a demonstration of how a soldi...

  When people see some things as beautiful, other things became ugly. When people see some things as good, other things became bad. Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. Therefore, the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.

  The frogs, living an easy and free life in the lakes and ponds, once prayed to Jupiter to send them a king. Jove (Jupiter), being in a merry mood at the time, threw them a log, saying as he did so: "There, then, is a king for you." Awed by the splash, the frogs watched their new king in fear and trembling. At last, encouraged by its stillness, one bold frog jumped onto the log's shoulder. Soon, many others followed, leaping upon their silent, unresisting king and making merry on his back. But they quickly grew tired of such a lifeless ruler. So they petitioned Jupiter again, begging for a more active king. This time, Jupiter sent them a stork—who immediately began tossing them about and gobbling them up without mercy. Horrified, the frogs wasted no time in begging the god to restore their peaceful past. "No, no," replied Jupiter. "A harmless king did not please you. Now you must live with the one you have—or you may end up with someone even wors...

  One day the famous archer " Genglei" and the king of Wei , standing beneath a high platform, saw a bird flying from the east. The archer said to the king, “I can shoot the bird down just by drawing my bowstring.” “You mean archery can reach as high a level as this?” asked the king.  “Yes,” the archer answered.   A moment later the bird flew nearby . It was a solitary wild goose. " Genglei" drew the bowstring, and the goose fell down at its twang. “So,” said the king, “archery can really reach such a level.” " Genglei" said, “This is a solitary goose, wounded and not yet recovered.” “How do you know that?” asked the king.  The archer answered, “ It flew slowly because of the wounds and cried mournfully because it was separated from its flock. With the wounds unhealed, the goose had a linger­ing fear. Startled by the twang of the bowstring, it tried to soar to greater heights with all its might, which opened the old wounds. The goose couldn’t sta...

  In ancient times, there lived an old woodcutter who ventured into the mountains nearly every day to chop wood. It was said that this man was a miser, hoarding his silver until it turned to gold, valuing wealth above all else in the world.   One day, as he worked, a fierce tiger leaped at him. Though he fled, escape was impossible—the beast seized him in its jaws and carried him away. The woodcutter’s son, seeing his father in peril, grabbed a long knife and gave chase. Unburdened, he ran faster than the tiger, which struggled under the weight of its prey. Soon, the son caught up to them.   Miraculously, the old man was unharmed, as the tiger had only gripped his clothes. But when the son raised his knife to strike, the woodcutter cried out in panic,  "Don’t ruin the tiger’s skin! Don’t spoil it! If you kill it without cutting holes, we can sell the pelt for a fortune! Strike carefully— don’t damage the body!"   Distracted by his father’s greed, the son hes...

  One day, a Wagoner was driving his heavy wain through a muddy lane when the wheels sank deep into the thick clay. No matter how hard the horses pulled, the wagon wouldn’t budge. Frustrated and helpless, the man dropped to his knees and began pleading loudly, "Oh, mighty Hercules! Please help me free my wagon!" Suddenly, a booming voice answered from above: "Lazy fellow! Get up and stop your begging. Use your own strength first—whip your horses firmly and push the wheel with your shoulder! Only then, if you still need me, shall I help."

  When human beings were having their characteristics given out to them, one of the angels came to a man who was to be a ‘saint ”, and asked, 'What do you want?’ The Saint-to-be answered 'Nothing’ and continued to sit in contemplation of Truth. Now the Angel went from one to another of the humans-to-be and asked their wishes. The King-to-be said, 'Pomp and importance ’. The Peasant-to-be said, 'Work to do ’. The Warrior-to-be said, 'Glory ’. And so , it went on. Then a voice said to the Saint -to-be, 'You have asked nothing for yourself, and it is not too late to choose. Because of your desire for Truth, however, you shall have a glimpse of how hum anity will use the attributes— ’ As the Saint -to-be looked into a mirror that was held before him, he saw kings in their pomp and ceremony, peasants working endlessly, soldiers continually fighting___ Then the Saint -to-be gasped, 'But what will be the future of the People of Learning?’ The picture in the mi...

      An Old Man had many sons, who were always falling out with one another. He had often exhorted them to live together in harmony, but without result.       One day he called them around him and, producing a bundle of sticks, bade them each in turn to break it across. Each put forth all his strength, but the bundle resisted their efforts.  Then, cutting the cord which bound the sticks together, he told his sons to break them separately. This was done with the greatest ease.      "See, my sons," exclaimed he, "the power of unity! Bound together by brotherly love, you may defy almost every mortal ill; divided, you will fall a prey to your enemies."          

  One day the famous archer “ Gengle i” and the king of “Wei”, standing beneath a high platform, saw a bird flying from the east. The archer said to the king, “I can shoot the bird down just by drawing my bowstring.” “You mean archery can reach as high a level as this?” asked the king.   “Yes,” the archer answered. A moment later the bird flew near. It was a solitary wild goose. “Genglei” drew the bowstring, and the goose fell down at its twang. “So,” said the king, “archery can really reach such a level.” “Genglei” said, “This is a solitary goose, wounded and not yet recovered.” “How do you know that?” asked the king.   The archer answered, “It flew slowly because of the wounds and cried mournfully because it was separated from its flock. With the wounds unhealed, the goose had a lingering fear. Startled by the twang of the bowstring, it tried to soar to greater heights with all its might, which opened up the old wounds. The goose couldn’t stand the pain, so it fell do...

  An old woman had several maids, and she'd call them to work every morning at the first crow of the cock. The maids , finding their sweet sleep constantly disturbed so early, decided to take matters into their own hands. They killed the cock, thinking that with him gone, they could enjoy their warm beds a little longer.   However, the old woman was furious at the loss of her cock. Suspecting the maids were involved in his death, she began waking them up even earlier—soon after midnight! Their plan for more sleep backfired, leaving them with less rest than before.    

A Fox, having been hunted hard and chased a long way, saw a Countryman working in a woods and begged for his help to find a hiding place. The man told him to go into his nearby cottage. No sooner had the Fox gone inside than the hunters arrived. "Have you seen a Fox pass this way?" they asked. The Countryman said, "No," but at the same time, he pointed toward where the Fox lay. The hunters, however, did not take the hint, and the Fox escaped at full speed. The Fox, who had seen everything through a chink in the wall, came out and began to walk away without a word. "Why, how now!" said the Countryman. "Haven’t you the manners to thank your host before you go?" "Nay, nay," said the Fox. "If you had been as honest with your finger as you were with your tongue, I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye."   

  When it was moving house, the owl met a turtledove. The turtledove asked, “Where are you   going   in   such a   hurry?” “I’m   moving to the   east,”   answered   the   owl.   “Why?”   “Be­ cause,” answered the owl, “people here are all complaining about my singing.” The turtledove said, “Moving to another place would be a good idea if you could change your voice. If you can’t, the people in the east will complain about your voice as well.”

  The Peacock’s tail feathers were golden and beautiful, but the peacock was jealous by nature. Although it had long been tamed, it would chase boys and girls dressed in bright, beautiful clothes and peck at them. Whenever the peacock took a rest in the mountains, it would find a proper place for its tail first, then lie down. Once a peacock was chased in the rain by a bird catcher. The rain wet the peacock’s tail. The peacock knew very well it was in danger, but it loved its tail so much that it stopped flying. Eventually the peacock was caught by the bird catcher.

 A Traveller said, "Ah, how bright the sun is!" A glow-worm, close by, said, "it is always a quality of our race." "What do you mean, you impudent little thing?" said the traveller. The glow-worm replied, "Why, I mean that brightness is ever a quality of the class to which I, the sun, the moon, the stars, and other shining bodies belong!" "Ah," said the traveler, "vanity reigns over all creation!"

 'Junaid Of Baghdad' was passing the scene of a public hanging, where a thief was on the scaffold. 'Junaid' bowed towards the criminal. Someone asked him: 'Why did you do that?' Junaid said: 'I was bowing before his single-mindedness. For his aim, that man has given his life.' [Idrees Shah] *** Show a man too many camels' bones, or show them to him too often, and he will not be able to recognize a camel when he came across a live one.                               [Mirza Ahsan Of Tabriz]

  Before the master carpenter Lu Ban had completed his wooden phoenix—its crest unchiseled, its talons unshaped, its feathers still rough—onlookers gathered to mock his work. Those who glimpsed only the unfinished body sneered, "This is no phoenix, but an ugly owl!" Others, seeing only the rough-hewn head, scoffed, "A clumsy pelican, nothing more!" The crowd jeered at what they believed to be Lu Ban's failure, their judgments hardened by the incomplete form before them. Yet when the master applied his final strokes—when the emerald crest rose in splendor, the vermilion talons gleamed, and the gilded feathers caught the light like scattered fire—the truth revealed itself. The phoenix shook itself alive, wings unfurling in a burst of color, and took flight in a sweeping arc across the heavens. Those who had laughed fell silent, their earlier certainty crumbling before the revelation of the whole. The Nature of Partial Perception This ancient parable mirrors a...