@stories

A miser hid his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden. Every week he would dig it up and look at it for hours. One day a thief dug up the gold and made off with it. When the miser next came to gaze upon the treasure all he found was an empty hole.

The man began to howl with grief so his neighbors came running to find out what the trouble was. When they found out, one of them asked, “Did you use any of the gold?”

“No,” said the miser. “I only looked at it every week.”

“Well, then,” said the neighbor, “for all the good the gold did you, you might just as well come every week and gaze upon the hole.”

 

It is not by our money

but by our capacity for enjoyment

that we are rich or poor.

To strive for wealth

and have no capacity for enjoyment

is to be like the bald man

who struggles to collect combs

A Shepherd was gazing his sheep when a passer-by said, “That’s a fine flock of sheep you have. Could I ask you something about them?” “Of course”, said the shepherd. Said the man, “How much would you say your sheep walk each day?” “Which ones, the white ones or the black ones?” “The white ones.” “Well, the white ones walk about four miles a day.”  “And the black ones?” “The black ones too.”

“And how much grass would you say they eat each day?” “Which ones, the white or the black?” “The white ones.” “Well, the white ones eat about four pounds of grass each day.” “And the black ones?” “The black ones too.” “And how much wool would you say they give each year?” “Which ones, the white or black?” “The white ones.” “Well, I’d say the white ones give some six pounds of wool each year at shearing time.” “And the black ones?” The black ones too.”

The passer-by was intrigued. “May I ask you why you have the strange habit of dividing your sheep into white and black each time you answer one of my questions?” “Well,” said the shepherd, “that’s only natural. The white ones are mine, you see.” “Ah! And the black ones?” “The black ones too,” said the shepherd.

The human mind makes foolish divisions in what Love sees as One.

(~Anthony de Mello)