The best parables with deep meaning. Parables about the meaning of life. Parable: Life after death
Parable from Alexander BellaThree wise men talked about the main thing. The first one said: “There are those who spend their whole lives looking for its meaning.” Take this quest away from them, and the meaning of their existence will be lost. The second one smiled at his words and continued: “If our wishes came true instantly, there would be none left...
Good intentions Eastern parable
One ascetic was asked: “Have you done anything during your life that you would be pleased with?” He answered: “I don’t know.” I don’t presume to say that I did. But I know one thing for sure: no matter what I did, I was always afraid of angering God, I was afraid that he...
Bogdykhan Chi-Hoang-Ti Parable from Avetik Isahakyan
(200 years before the birth of Christ) Gloomy and angry, the ruler of the heavenly kingdom sat on an ivory throne, proud and arrogant, like the sky itself. The angry Yellow Sea raged in his eyes, constantly gnawing at the shores of China. And they plowed it...
What is the meaning of life Business parable about the Way of Trade
One day a student asked the Teacher: - Teacher, what is the meaning of life? - Whose? - the Teacher was surprised. The student, after thinking a little, answered: “In general.” Human life. The teacher took a deep breath, and then said to the students: “Try to answer.” One student said: -...
The Great Invisible Master Parable from Alexander Bella
Once upon a time, in one of the lands we lived completely differently from how we live now: not knowing what awaits us and why we live. Because in that land the wizard Aum ruled everything. Barely born new person how his parents received a scroll from the wizard, in which...
Taste of life Eastern parable
One man certainly wanted to become a student of a true Master and, having decided to check the correctness of his choice, asked the Master the following question: - Can you explain to me what the purpose of life is? “I can’t,” came the answer. - Then at least tell me what it is...
The question doesn't make sense Esoteric parable
A stranger came to the Master: - I am looking for the meaning of life. The master replied: “You clearly believe that life has meaning.” - Isn’t that so? - If you perceive life as it is, and not through the prism of the mind, then you discover that this question makes no sense...
Even a thousand years is useless Vedic parable
King Yayati was dying. He was already a hundred years old. Death came, and Yayati said: “Perhaps you will take one of my sons?” I had not yet truly lived, I was busy with the affairs of the kingdom and forgot that I would have to leave this body. Be compassionate! Death...
Two fools Parable from Viktor Shlipov
A fool was walking along the road. And two wise men met him. He asked them about the meaning of life. One sage stood for a while and moved on, and the second one stopped and began to explain. And there were two fools left on the road.
Two candles Parable from Natalia Spirina
“I feel sorry for you,” said the unlit candle to its lit friend. - Your life is short. You are burning all the time, and soon you will be gone. I'm much happier than you. I do not burn, and therefore I do not melt; I lie quietly on my side and will live a very long time. Your days...
Demon Cratius Parable from Vladimir Megre
Slowly the slaves walked one after another, each carrying a polished stone. Four lines, one and a half kilometers long each, from the stone cutters to the place where the construction of the fortress city began, were guarded by guards. For every ten slaves one armed man was relied upon...
Good and evil Parable from Vlas Doroshevich
Knowing good and evil, you will be like gods. The words of the serpent Akbar, ruler of many lands, conqueror, conqueror, defender, protector and owner, fell into thought. Those who looked into his eyes saw, as they looked into the house through the windows, that there was emptiness in his soul...
Acorn Parable from Friedrich-Adolf Krummacher
A great-grandson was born to an elderly pious Brahmin. In joy at the blessing sent down to his house, he said: “I will go into the field to thank the great Spirit and Father of nature, who gives us good.” Oh, if only he would give me a chance to honor him in some way...
Life values Parable from Laura Dubik
One day at wise man asked what the meaning of life is. He answered: - In order to live. Some people believe that the meaning of life is love. But is it possible to love without living? For some it is a dream. But is it possible to achieve it without having life? And there are those...
Suicide Note Modern parable
One single man asked his married friend: “How do you withstand all these screams, children always having fun, these sleepless nights and family life generally. Looking at this, I’ll probably never get married again,” and laughed. Then a friend told him his...
Why did you come to this world? Parable about Nasreddin
A parable is a short story with some deep meaning. philosophical meaning. It makes you think about something important and vital. The most common parables among people are about meaning, since this is a topic that has worried all people from time immemorial. Old stories brought from the last century are valued as wiser; they convey the experience of previous generations. However, do not underestimate modern parables about the meaning of life; they are no less in demand. This is because it doesn’t matter when the situation described occurred, the main thing is the meaning.
Stories don’t have to be long; some parables about the meaning of life are short, like a match, and you can read them before the match burns out. However, this does not prevent them from carrying a certain message, which will help some to decide what we live for, and will simply give others food for thought. Below, as examples, are some famous and interesting parables about the meaning of life.
Example: “The Donkey and the Well”
The donkey fell into the well and began to scream invitingly, attracting the attention of its owner. He actually came running, but was in no hurry to get the pet. A “brilliant” idea came into his head: “The well has dried up, it was high time to bury it and create a new one. The donkey is also old, it’s time to get a new one. I'll fill up the well right now! I’ll do 2 useful things at once.”
No sooner said than done, the man invited his neighbors, and they began to throw earth into the well and the donkey inside, not paying attention to the cries of the poor animal, who guessed what was what.
Soon the donkey fell silent. People became curious why he became quiet, they looked into the well and saw the following picture: every lump of earth that fell from above onto his back was thrown off by the donkey, and then crushed with his hooves. As a result, when the men continued, the animal finally reached the top and climbed out.
Life sends people many troubles, comparable to clods of earth. You can whine and scream about how bad it is, and you can try to shake off the ground and crush it in order to rise. The main thing is not to sit idly by and do something.
What do parables teach?
Each parable teaches something different. For example, the above makes it clear that one should never give up, even in cases where the situation seems hopeless, and also that in order to achieve positive result you just need to think carefully and try to find a way out. Most often, this is the meaning that is put into these short philosophical stories by those who are capable of it. Some parables came to people straight from the sages, some were simply made up ordinary people, but in any case, there is a deep subtext in any parable, and therefore reading them is sometimes extremely useful.
In addition, of course, parables help to understand good and evil, love and sympathy, faith in God, religion in general, the meaning of life and other issues of interest.
Example: “Life and Coffee”
One day, graduates of a prestigious college came to visit their wise professor, who had once taught them a lot. Gradually the conversation turned to life's difficulties, and then the teacher offered the guys coffee. After agreeing, the man left, and soon returned with a coffee pot and a tray filled with various cups. Some were beautiful and expensive, made of crystal or porcelain, others were simple and unsightly, plastic, cheap.
Look what you have chosen,” the professor began as each of his students took a cup. - You all took only the most beautiful and attractive cups, leaving the cheap ones on the tray. This is the source of your troubles - you strive to get the best for yourself. But the main thing is not what is outside, but what is inside. The taste of coffee does not depend on the beauty of the cup, but it is yours main goal. Think about it: coffee is our life, and money, society, work are just cups. We strive for the most beautiful cup, forgetting to fill it with its contents. But it serves only as a means to help support life. The main thing is the coffee and its taste.
How are parables useful?
From the example above it is immediately clear that parables can convey a truly large-scale thought. Indeed, our lives are comparable to coffee. People try to earn a lot of money, strive to live in luxurious houses, dress beautifully and expensively, look for life partners not for love, but for other qualities like wealth and a big name, etc. With all this, a person does not understand that happiness is not at all in a beautiful cup (and also in a candy wrapper, if compared with sweets), but in the contents. Surely many have heard that rich people are most often unhappy. They have everything, so they simply don’t know what else they need. But poor people living in modest huts can be so happy with their lives that you are simply amazed.
By the way, comparisons are very popular in parables and similar philosophical stories. Even in both of the above examples, lives are compared to something/someone. This happens for a person’s better perception of meaning.
At what age is it better to start studying parables?
There is no specific answer to this question, but the older a person is, the wiser he is, and therefore the real meaning that the authors wanted to convey to the reader is easier for him to understand. some parables are so easy to understand (most often thanks to the notorious comparison mentioned earlier) that absolutely anyone can understand them, even those farthest from philosophy.
Most often, parables begin to interest people when the question about the meaning of life comes to mind. For some it may be at 15 years old, for others at 30, but the fact remains: it is parables that help find answers to life’s questions of interest. And absolutely any, since they concern almost all directions.
The East is a delicate matter
Most often, people are interested not in ordinary things, but in the meaning of life. This happens because it is in the East that there are a larger number of sages and masters, unlike other nations, which means that it is from there that full-fledged stories created by true masters of their craft flock. This is not always true, of course, since any author can call a parable “Oriental,” be it from London or Russia, but still, people often believe that they are reading an Eastern parable, which is why they automatically trust it more than other versions of similar stories.
Example: "Butterflies and Answers"
One day three beautiful butterflies flew up to a burning candle, admired the fire for a while and began to talk about its nature and meaning. The first one decided to fly a little closer, and soon she returned.
The fire is shining,” she announced.
The other butterfly decided to keep up with the first one, so it also decided to fly up to the candle. She only got closer to the fire than her first friend in order to better understand what was what, and therefore she burned the wing a little.
The fire is burning! - she exclaimed, returning to the “girls” waiting for her.
The third butterfly also went to the candle, however, being the boldest of all, it flew straight into the fire. She never returned, but she fulfilled her dream - to know the power and nature of fire. Unfortunately, she could no longer tell the truth to the remaining butterflies.
Parables and the meaning of life
Everyone is searching for the true value of human existence on Earth. However, as you can see from the example above: knowledge is a powerful force. Most often it happens that those who know nothing speak, and those who know the truth for sure are silent. The dead, for example, know the meaning of life, but they cannot tell it to earthly people, no matter how much they themselves wanted it.
All parables in one way or another touch on the meaning of existence, but they are unlikely to give an exact answer to the curious. Only hints, tips that everyone will perceive in their own way and develop into a full-fledged idea, thought. Not everyone will succeed, however, some will think that all parables are complete nonsense, but perhaps someday they will still think about this question.
Parable of the Bow and Arrow
One famous Master practiced archery with his students. The young man took the weapon, prepared a couple of arrows for it and carefully began to aim. But the coach took one of them from him and threw it away:
Why did my second arrow bother you? – the young man did not understand.
This was the first one. You don’t need it, it wouldn’t hit the bull’s eye anyway and wouldn’t be useful.
Why are you so sure? – the young man was surprised.
It is impossible to immediately hit the intended target if a person thinks that he has two attempts.
A parable about the importance of life situations
One bird found a safe hiding place in the spreading branches of a dry tree. She built a nest and began to live here. But the trunk stood in the center of a hot desert, where there was nothing living.
One day, a violent tornado unexpectedly flew there and tore the dried tree out of the sand by the roots. The bird had no choice but to fly in search of a new permanent home.
She scoured the distant surroundings for a very long time, but one day a wonderful garden caught her eye. In the middle of it there was a large lake with clear water, and on all sides grew numerous shady bushes strewn with tasty and juicy berries.
The bird simply couldn’t believe its luck. But, having thought thoroughly, she suddenly realized that if it had not been for the sudden hurricane that destroyed her former nest, she would never have found such great well-being in her life. Without moving from your favorite place, you cannot reach it.
Parables about vices
The Parable of Indecision
A young man approached one wandering monk, who constantly sat in the market square and asked passing people for alms. He asked him:
Help me, O wise one! Please advise what I should do next. I am passionately and mutually in love. But I don’t know if I should get married or is it better to wait until marriage?
You should forever abandon such a decision.
Why, because my girlfriend and I love each other very much? – the young man was amazed at his amazing words.
If the bride were truly important to you, you wouldn't ask me what you should do with her.
Parable about weeding
Early spring came, and in the garden we had to pull out the tall weeds that were visible everywhere. This tedious work was entrusted to an old grandfather with a young grandson.
The boy got bored very quickly and began pestering his older relative: “Tell me, where are there so many different weeds here? No one sowed or watered them. This is how they have grown, and what was planted and cared for can only be seen from the ground. But how much effort was put into vegetables.”
Grandfather answered him with a smile: “You, grandson, are a real good fellow, you notice everything around you. Know that something that is most important for people is obtained by them only with great difficulty and inexhaustible patience. But everything harmful and destructive comes simply from nowhere. Therefore, we must carefully develop our strengths and weed out our shortcomings without regret.”
Parables about the meaning of life
Parable about children
One day, bamboo and stone got into a desperate argument. They believed that it was them own life is a role model for everyone around him. Glyba said:
- Everyone should exist the way I do. Then no one will die.
But the plant objected to her:
– Not at all, if people live the way I grow, only then will they truly achieve true happiness. After all, after death, I am born again.
The stone replied:
“And it’s even better if they can take the position I’m in.” In a calm sitting position, it will not be affected by wind, heat or cold. Rain or hail doesn't bother me either. Nothing can do me any harm. I will remain on earth forever. Stones do not know grief, shame or grief. If only everyone could learn these things.
But bamboo insisted:
- No, I don’t agree. Only then will people be able to achieve immortality if they begin to live as I live. Of course, I am not eternal, but I continue my lineage in children. Look around and you will see them everywhere. They will also have numerous offspring in due time and they will exist on earth forever. They will all look like me and become truly beautiful.
The stone had nothing to object to. He had to admit defeat in the dispute. People's lives are so happy and wonderful because their existence on earth resembles bamboo.
Parable about life
One teacher stood surrounded by his young students. One of them suddenly asked him a question:
- Tell us, why do people live in the world?
“I don’t know,” the sage told him.
Another young man also inquired:
– Then what is the purpose of our earthly existence?
- I won’t answer.
“But we then came to you to enrich ourselves with your knowledge,” the students were upset.
The elder looked at them with a long, kind look and said:
– For a person, it is not so important why and for what purpose he lives on earth. The joy of everyday existence comes first for him. Imagine a very tasty dish. After all, each of you would like to taste it, but not understand why and for what purpose it was prepared.
Parable about life expectancy
In one remote village lived an old teacher, whose fame quickly spread throughout the land. Every day he added a new student. Finally, there were so many of them that he was no longer able to remember everyone by sight.
But they constantly communicated with each other and one day agreed to ask the sage the most important question for them about what awaits people after they pass away.
But the teacher was silent and the young men soon lost patience. He had to give them the long-awaited answer. He said:
– The most interesting thing is that such a problem is asked only by those who are not involved in anything serious in their daily lives. These people are very afraid of death because they have not lived in their present existence. That's why they dream of immortality.
“No, teacher, we are interested in exactly what awaits them after death,” one of the students disagreed.
“You’d better ask what awaits you before your death,” the sage answered with a smile.
Parable about happiness
One day three tired travelers were walking along a country road. They talked among themselves and sang songs during breaks. Each of them complained about their hard lot.
Suddenly they heard plaintive cries for help. There was a big hole on their way, and they saw that happiness had fallen into it. It begged them to save him and promised the fulfillment of any desires.
The first man said importantly:
“I ask you for wealth, so that it will never be transferred to me for the rest of my life.”
His wish was instantly fulfilled. He took the treasure and left.
The second person also expressed his wish:
“I want the most beautiful wife in the whole wide world.”
Immediately, out of nowhere, a dazzling beauty appeared, took him by the arm, and they quickly disappeared from sight.
- What do you want? – happiness asked the third person sadly.
- And you? – he asked him again.
“What I dream of most is getting out of the terrible hole,” happiness answered with tears.
He looked around, found a long pole and held it out. And he turned and left without expressing any desire.
Happiness quickly jumped out of the hole and rushed after him, and never fell behind in his life.
Parables about human relationships
Parable about someone else's misfortune
One mouse climbed into the barn and told the animals living there that a mousetrap had appeared in the owner’s house.
The cows, chickens and sheep only laughed at her and told her not to distract them from more important matters with her stupid worries. They were completely sure that they had nothing to do with them.
But one day a poisonous snake fell into the trap. She grabbed her owner's hand with her teeth. She became seriously ill. In order to cure her, her husband killed a chicken. He hoped that the nutritious broth would help her recover.
Three relatives came to look after her. The consumption of food in the house increased and the owner had to slaughter a sheep.
But nothing helped the woman and she soon died. The husband scheduled a wake and cooked a lot of beef, slaughtering a cow.
And only one mouse did not suffer in any way in a series of troubles. She watched these events in horror through a tiny crack in the wall of the house and thought about what the animals had told her earlier. They believed that the mousetrap would not touch them at all.
Therefore, you should not ignore other people’s troubles; sooner or later they may affect other people.
A parable about love and passion
Once upon a time there was a hurricane. He constantly rushed above the ground, not knowing any restrictions. He never felt grief, joy, love, or compassion for anyone.
But one day, when it was completely quiet and clear, he saw a beautiful flower in the garden. The wind approached him and the petals fluttered under his breath. He did not hide his admiration. The flower, noticing him, responded with the sweetest smell.
The hurricane, seeing that his feeling was not left without reciprocity, intensified its wind and the plant swayed on its stem. It held on for a long time, but eventually broke.
The wind tried to help him, but to no avail. He stopped blowing and began to blow on the flower again with tenderness. But he no longer showed signs of life.
Then the hurricane cried out in despair: “I gave you a great feeling and a powerful passion, why were you not able to bear it? So your love was just a façade? If she were genuine, we would be together all our lives."
But the flower did not respond, but only, exuding the last wonderful fragrance, slowly died. The hurricane realized too late that violent passion does not always accompany true love and can even kill it if the impulses are too strong.
Parables about worldly wisdom
A parable about good and bad memories
In a distant village there lived an elderly woman. She was famous for her kindness and wisdom, and people often came to her for advice. One day her closest neighbor asked her:
- Mother, tell me! You have lived in this world for so long, but in your soul you remain younger than any of us. How did you do this? Tell me a secret, I wouldn’t want to grow old either.
Grandmother smiled at her and answered:
- I’ll tell you, my dear. I forever mark all the good with notches on the wall of the house, and put the evil into the water. If I acted differently, I would only be tormented by difficult thoughts. I would look around and see only reminders of grief and troubles. But I see good, and evil has long disappeared. Each of us decides what he wants to keep in memory and what to throw out of it. Therefore, kindness must be put aside in the soul, and anger must be drowned in love.
A parable about the meaninglessness of endless memories
One day, a wise teacher, standing in a circle of numerous students, told them a very funny incident from his long life. Everyone laughed heartily, as he was truly amazingly funny. Less than a quarter of an hour had passed before he retold it again. People were very surprised, but smiled out of politeness. Twenty minutes later, the sage again told the students the same incident. They remained silent in bewilderment.
Then he laughed himself and said: “Why don’t you laugh, you were amused by the story? Yes, I repeated it three times. But why is it acceptable to shed tears for the same reason, but not to have fun?”
Parable about money and happiness
One young man came to the Teacher and asked him:
– Should we believe that happiness does not lie in wealth?
The sage agreed with this statement. He said young man:
“We see evidence of this at every step. Hard coins buy you a soft bed, but you can’t sleep in it for them. Delicious food is sold, but there is no appetite for it. Everyone is able to buy a servant, but friends are not for sale. You can get along with a woman for money, but her love cannot be bought. A rich person allows himself a luxurious home, but the comfort in it is not valued in large denominations. People pay for entertainment, but it is unknown whether they will receive joy for a large sum. Parents pay teachers, but the knowledge and intelligence of their children are not valued by wealth. And I have listed a far from complete list of what cannot be acquired for any treasure in the world.
A parable is one of the most ancient types of edifying stories. Instructive allegories allow you to briefly and succinctly give any moral statement, without resorting to direct persuasion. That is why parables about life with morality - short and allegorical - have at all times been a very popular educational tool, touching on a variety of problems of human existence.
The ability to distinguish between good and evil distinguishes a person from an animal. It is not surprising that the folklore of all nations contains many parables on this topic. Give own definitions good and evil, to explore their interaction and explain the nature of human dualism, they tried to Ancient East, and in Africa, and in Europe, and in both Americas. A large corpus of parables on this topic shows that, despite the difference in cultures and traditions, the idea of these fundamental concepts among different nations general .
Two wolves
Once upon a time, an old Indian revealed to his grandson one vital truth:
– There is a struggle in every person, very similar to the struggle of two wolves. One wolf represents evil - envy, jealousy, regret, selfishness, ambition, lies... The other wolf represents good - peace, love, hope, truth, kindness, loyalty...
The little Indian, touched to the depths of his soul by his grandfather’s words, thought for a few moments, and then asked:
– Which wolf wins in the end?
The old Indian smiled faintly and replied:
– The wolf you feed always wins.
Know it and don't do it
The young man came to the sage with a request to accept him as a student.
– Can you lie? - asked the sage.
- Of course not!
- What about stealing?
- No.
- What about killing?
- No…
“Then go and find out all this,” exclaimed the sage, “but once you know, don’t do it!”
Black dot
One day the sage gathered his students and showed them an ordinary piece of paper on which he drew a small black dot. He asked them:
-What do you see?
Everyone answered in unison that it was a black dot. The answer was not correct. The sage said:
– Don’t you see this white sheet of paper - it’s so huge, bigger than this black dot! This is how it is in life - the first thing we see in people is something bad, although there is much more good. And only a few see the “white sheet of paper” right away.
Parables about happiness
Wherever a person is born, whoever he is, whatever he does, in essence, he does one thing - seeks happiness. This internal search continues from birth to deathbed, even if it is not always realized. And on this path a person faces a lot of questions. What is happiness? Is it possible to be happy without having anything? Is it possible to get happiness ready-made or do you need to create it yourself?
The idea of happiness is as individual as DNA or fingerprints. For some people and the whole world is not enough to feel at least satisfied. For others, little is enough - sunbeam, friendly smile. It seems that there can be no agreement between people regarding this ethical category. And yet, in different parables about happiness, common ground is found.
A piece of clay
God molded man from clay. He sculpted an earth, a house, animals and birds for man. And he was left with an unused piece of clay.
- What else should you make? - God asked.
“Make me happy,” the man asked.
God didn’t answer, thought for a moment and put the remaining piece of clay in the man’s palm.
Money doesn't buy happiness
The student asked the Master:
– How true are the words that money does not buy happiness?
The master replied that they were completely correct.
- It's easy to prove. For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food - but not appetite; medicines - but not health; servants - but not friends; women - but not love; home - but not home; entertainment - but not joy; teachers - but not the mind. And what is named does not exhaust the list.
Khoja Nasreddin and the traveler
One day Nasreddin met a gloomy man wandering along the road to the city.
- What's wrong with you? – Khoja Nasreddin asked the traveler.
The man showed him a tattered travel bag and said plaintively:
- Oh, I'm unhappy! Everything I own in the infinitely vast world will barely fill this pitiful, worthless bag!
“Your affairs are bad,” Nasreddin sympathized, snatched the bag from the traveler’s hands and ran away.
And the traveler continued on his way, shedding tears. Meanwhile, Nasreddin ran ahead and placed the bag right in the middle of the road. The traveler saw his bag lying on the way, laughed with joy and cried out:
- Oh, what happiness! And I thought I had lost everything!
“It’s easy to make a person happy by teaching him to appreciate what he has,” thought Khoja Nasreddin, watching the traveler from the bushes.
Wise parables about morality
The words “morality” and “morality” in Russian have different shades. Morality is rather public setting. Morality is internal, personal. Nevertheless, basic principles morality and morality largely coincide.
Wise parables easily, but not superficially, touch on these basic principles: the attitude of man to man, dignity and baseness, attitude towards the Motherland. Issues of the relationship between man and society are often embodied in parable form.
Bucket of apples
The man bought it for himself new home– large, beautiful – and a garden with fruit trees near the house. And nearby, in an old house, there lived an envious neighbor who constantly tried to ruin his mood: either he would throw garbage under the gate, or he would do some other nasty things.
One day a man woke up in good mood, went out onto the porch, and there was a bucket of slop. The man took a bucket, poured out the slop, cleaned the bucket until it was shiny, collected the largest, ripe and delicious apples into it and went to his neighbor. The neighbor opens the door in the hope of a scandal, and the man handed him a bucket of apples and said:
- He who is rich in what, shares it!
Low and worthy
One padishah sent the sage three identical bronze figurines and ordered him to convey:
“Let him decide which of the three people whose statues we are sending is worthy, who is so-so and who is low.”
No one could find any difference between the three figurines. But the sage noticed holes in his ears. He took a thin flexible stick and stuck it into the ear of the first figurine. The stick came out through the mouth. The second figurine's wand came out through the other ear. The third figurine has a wand stuck somewhere inside.
“A person who divulges everything he hears is certainly low,” the sage reasoned. - Anyone whose secret goes in one ear and comes out through the other is a so-so person. The truly noble one is the one who keeps all secrets within himself.
This is what the sage decided and made corresponding inscriptions on all the figurines.
Change your voice
The dove saw an owl in the grove and asked:
-Where are you from, owl?
– I lived in the east, and now I’m flying to the west.
So the owl answered and began to hoot and laugh angrily. The dove asked again:
- Why did you leave? home and fly to foreign lands?
- Because in the east they don’t like me because I have a nasty voice.
“It was in vain that you left your native land,” said the dove. “You don’t need to change the land, but your voice.” In the West, just like in the East, they do not tolerate evil hooting.
About parents
The attitude towards parents is a moral task that was solved long ago by humanity. Biblical legends about Ham, the Gospel commandments, numerous proverbs, and fairy tales fully reflect people’s ideas about the relationship between fathers and children. And yet, there are so many contradictions between parents and children that to modern man From time to time it is useful to remind about this.
The constant relevance of the topic “Parents and Children” gives rise to more and more new parables. Modern authors, following in the footsteps of their predecessors, find new words and metaphors to again touch on this issue.
Feeder
Once upon a time there lived an old man. His eyes were blinded, his hearing was dull, and his knees trembled. He could hardly hold a spoon in his hands, he would spill soup, and sometimes food would fall out of his mouth.
The son and his wife looked at him with disgust and during meals began to sit the old man in a corner behind the stove, and the food was served to him in an old saucer. One day the old man's hands were shaking so much that he could not hold the saucer of food. It fell to the floor and broke. Then the young daughter-in-law began to scold the old man, and the son made a wooden feeder for his father. Now the old man had to eat from it.
One day, when the parents were sitting at the table, their little son entered the room with a piece of wood in his hands.
-What do you want to do? - asked the father.
“A wooden feeder,” answered the baby. – When I grow up, dad and mom will eat from it.
Eagle and eaglet
An old eagle flew over the abyss. He carried his son on his back. The eaglet was still too small and could not make it this way. Flying over the abyss, the chick said:
- Father! Now you carry me across the abyss on your back, and when I become big and strong, I will carry you.
“No, son,” the old eagle answered sadly. - When you grow up, you will carry your son.
suspension bridge
On the way between two high-mountain villages there was a deep gorge. The residents of these villages built a suspension bridge over it. People walked on its wooden planks, and two cables served as railings. People were so used to walking across this bridge that they didn’t have to hold on to these railings, and even children fearlessly ran across the gorge on the planks.
But one day the ropes and railings disappeared somewhere. Early in the morning people approached the bridge, but no one could take a single step across it. While there were cables, it was possible not to hold on to them, but without them the bridge turned out to be impregnable.
This is what happens with our parents. While they are alive, it seems to us that we can do without them, but as soon as we lose them, life immediately begins to seem very difficult.
Everyday parables
Everyday parables are a special category of texts. In a person’s life, every moment a situation of choice arises. What role can seemingly insignificant little things, unnoticed little meanness, stupid provocations, absurd doubts play in fate? Proverbs answer this question clearly: huge.
For a parable, nothing is insignificant or unimportant. She firmly remembers that “the flutter of a butterfly’s wing echoes like thunder in distant worlds.” But the parable does not leave a person alone with the inexorable law of retribution. She always leaves the opportunity for the fallen to rise and continue on their way.
Everything is in your hands
In a Chinese village there lived a sage. People came to him from everywhere with their problems and illnesses, and no one left without receiving help. For this they loved and respected him.
Only one person said: “People! Who do you worship? After all, he is a charlatan and a fraudster!” One day he gathered a crowd around him and said:
- Today I will prove to you that I was right. Let's go to your sage, I will catch a butterfly, and when he comes out onto the porch of his house, I will ask: “Guess what I have in my hand?” He will say: “Butterfly,” because anyway, one of you will let it slip. And then I’ll ask: “Is she alive or dead?” If he says that he is alive, I will squeeze his hand, and if he is dead, then I will release the butterfly to freedom. In any case, your sage will be made a fool!
When they came to the house of the sage, and he came out to meet them, the envious man asked his first question:
“Butterfly,” answered the sage.
- Is she alive or dead?
The old man, smiling into his beard, said:
- Everything is in your hands, man.
Bat
A long time ago, a war broke out between animals and birds. The hardest thing was for the old Bat. After all, she was both an animal and a bird at the same time. And therefore she could not decide for herself who it would be more profitable for her to join. But then she decided to cheat. If the birds prevail over the animals, then she will support the birds. Otherwise, she will quickly go over to the animals. So she did.
But when everyone noticed how she was behaving, they immediately suggested that she not run from one to the other, but choose one side once and for all. Then the old Bat said:
- No! I'll stay in the middle.
- Fine! - said both sides.
The battle began and the old Bat, caught in the middle of the battle, was crushed and died.
This is why he who tries to sit between two stools will always find himself on the rotten part of the rope that hangs over the jaws of death.
Fall
One student asked his Sufi mentor:
- Teacher, what would you say if you found out about my fall?
- Get up!
- And next time?
- Get up again!
– And how long can this continue – keep falling and rising?
- Fall and rise while you're alive! After all, those who fell and did not rise are dead.
Orthodox parables about life
Also Academician D.S. Likhachev noted that in Rus' the parable as a genre “grew” from the Bible. The Bible itself is littered with parables. It was this form of teaching the people that Solomon and Christ chose. Therefore, it is not surprising that with the advent of Christianity in Rus', the genre of parables took deep roots in our land.
Popular faith has always been far from formalism and “bookish” complexity. Therefore, the best Orthodox preachers constantly turned to allegory, where they generally transformed the key ideas of Christianity into a fairy-tale form. Sometimes Orthodox parables about life could be concentrated into one phrase-aphorism. In other cases - into a short story.
Humility is a feat
Once a woman came to the Optina hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) and asked him for a blessing for a spiritual feat: to live alone and fast, pray and sleep on bare boards without interference. The elder told her:
– You know, the evil one does not eat, does not drink and does not sleep, but everything lives in the abyss, because he has no humility. Submit in everything to the will of God - that’s your feat; humble yourself before everyone, reproach yourself for everything, bear illness and sorrow with gratitude - this is beyond any feats!
Your cross
One person thought that his life was very difficult. And one day he went to God, told about his misfortunes and asked Him:
– Can I choose a different cross for myself?
God looked at the man with a smile, led him into the storage room where there were crosses, and said:
- Choose.
A man walked around the storehouse for a long time, looking for the smallest and lightest cross, and finally found a small, small, light, light cross, approached God and said:
- Lord, can I take this one?
“It’s possible,” God answered. - This is your own.
About love with morals
Love moves worlds and human souls. It would be strange if the parables ignored the problems of relationships between men and women. And here the authors of the parables raise a great many questions. What is love? Is it possible to define it? Where does it come from and what destroys it? How to find it?
Parables also touch on narrower aspects. Everyday relations between husband and wife - it would seem that what could be more banal? But here too the parable finds food for thought. After all, it’s only in fairy tales that things end with a wedding crown. And the parable knows: this is just the beginning. And keeping love is no less important than finding it.
All or nothing
One man came to the sage and asked: “What is love?” The sage said: “Nothing.”
The man was very surprised and began to tell him that he had read many books that described how love can be different, sad and happy, eternal and fleeting.
Then the sage replied: “That’s it.”
The man again did not understand anything and asked: “How can I understand you? All or nothing?
The sage smiled and said: “You yourself just answered your own question: nothing or everything. There can be no middle ground!”
Mind and heart
One person argued that the mind on the street of love is blind, and that the main thing in love is the heart. As proof of this, he cited the story of a lover who swam many times across the Tigris River, bravely fighting the current, to see his beloved.
But one day he suddenly noticed a spot on her face. After that, while swimming across the Tigris, he thought: “My beloved is imperfect.” And at that very moment the love that held him on the waves weakened, in the middle of the river his strength left him, and he drowned.
Repair, don't throw away
An elderly couple who had lived together for over 50 years was asked:
- Probably, you have never had a fight in half a century?
“We were arguing,” the husband and wife answered.
– Maybe you never had any need, you had ideal relatives and a full house?
- No, everything is like everyone else.
– But you never wanted to separate?
– There were such thoughts.
– How did you manage to live together for so long?
– Apparently, we were born and raised in a time when it was customary to fix broken things and not throw them away.
Don't demand
The teacher learned that one of his students was persistently seeking someone's love.
“Don’t demand love, so you won’t get it,” said the teacher.
- But why?
- Tell me, what do you do when uninvited guests break into your door, when they knock, scream, demanding to open it, and tear out their hair from the fact that it is not opened for them?
“I lock it tighter.”
– Don’t break into the doors of other people’s hearts, as they will close even more tightly before you. Become a welcome guest and any heart will open to you. Take the example of a flower that does not chase bees, but by giving them nectar, attracts them to itself.
Short parables about insult
The outside world is a harsh environment that constantly pits people against each other, striking sparks. A situation of conflict, humiliation, or insult can unsettle a person for a long time. The parable comes to the rescue here too, playing a psychotherapeutic role.
How to react to an insult? Give vent to anger and respond to the insolent? What to choose – the Old Testament “an eye for an eye” or the Gospel “turn the other cheek”? It is curious that of the entire corpus of parables about insults, the Buddhist ones are the most popular today. The pre-Christian, but not Old Testament, approach seems most acceptable to our contemporaries.
Go your own way
One of the disciples asked Buddha:
– If someone insults or hits me, what should I do?
– If a dry branch falls from a tree and hits you, what will you do? – he asked in response:
– What will I do? “It’s a simple accident, a simple coincidence that I found myself under a tree when a branch fell from it,” said the student.
Then the Buddha remarked:
- So do the same. Someone was mad, angry and hit you. It's like a branch falling from a tree on your head. Don’t let this bother you, go on your way as if nothing happened.
Take it for yourself
One day, several people began to viciously insult Buddha. He listened silently, very calmly. And that's why they felt uneasy. One of these people addressed the Buddha:
– Don’t our words hurt you?!
“It’s up to you to decide whether to insult me or not,” replied the Buddha. – And mine is to accept your insults or not. I refuse to accept them. You can take them for yourself.
Socrates and the insolent
When some impudent person kicked Socrates, he endured it without saying a word. And when someone expressed surprise why Socrates ignored such a blatant insult, the philosopher remarked:
- If a donkey kicked me, would I really bring him to court?
About the meaning of life
Reflections on the meaning and purpose of existence belong to the category of so-called “damned questions”, and no one has a definite answer. However, deep existential fear - “Why am I living if I’m going to die anyway?” - torments every person. And of course, the genre of parable also touches on this issue.
Every nation has parables about the meaning of life. Most often it is defined as follows: the meaning of life is in life itself, in its endless reproduction and development through subsequent generations. The short-term existence of each individual person is considered philosophically. Perhaps the most allegorical and transparent parable in this category was invented by the American Indians.
Stone and bamboo
They say that one day a stone and a bamboo had a heated argument. Each of them wanted a person's life to be similar to his own.
The stone said:
– A person’s life should be the same as mine. Then he will live forever.
Bamboo replied:
- No, no, a person’s life should be like mine. I die, but am immediately born again.
The stone objected:
- No, it’s better to be different. Let better person will be like me. I do not bow to the wind or the rain. Neither water, nor heat, nor cold can harm me. My life is endless. For me there is no pain, no care. This is how a person's life should be.
Bamboo insisted:
- No. A person's life should be like mine. I die, it is true, but I am reborn in my sons. Isn't that right? Look around me - my sons are everywhere. And they too will have their own sons, and all will have smooth and white skin.
The stone was unable to answer this. Bamboo won the argument. This is why human life is like the life of bamboo.
“I’m confused,” said the Man. - You see, I don’t know where to go, I don’t know why. Time passes, and I don’t even really know who I am... I’m tired of uncertainty, tired of being afraid that I will do something wrong, tired of wandering in the dark, tired of making mistakes...
“I understand,” said the Tree. - But how can I help you?
Lend me your meaning in life,” the Man repeated. - Maybe it will help...
“Okay,” agreed the Tree, “my meaning in life is to grow.”
Just grow? That's all??
Yes,” said the Tree, “just grow - that’s all,” and fell silent.
Tree, wait, don't fall asleep! - shouted the Man, - explain what it means to “just grow”? After all, I’m just growing! Or rather,” he corrected himself, “he used to grow, but now he’s already grown...
But the Tree did not answer, and the Man went to the river.
River! - shouted the Man, - lend me your meaning of life! - asked the Man.
- For what? - asked Reka, “isn’t there one of your own?”
No... - the Man said, lowering his head.
That's how... - said Reka. - Okay then, listen. My meaning in life is to flow.
Leak... - repeated the Man.
Yes, yes, it’s flowing,” and the River purred somewhere over the stones.
Deciding to wait to be sure if the River would clarify its position, the Man lay down on the shore and began to bask in the sun.
How are you, Man? - asked the Sun.
“Actually, not very well,” the Man complained, “I can’t find the meaning of life.” The tree says: “Grow”, the River says: “Flow”, but I don’t really want to grow or flow... Maybe you can recommend something? What is your meaning in life?
“With pleasure,” said the Sun, “my meaning in life is to give light.”
- “Give light”! - The Man clasped his hands, - and that’s all?
That’s it,” the Sun winked, “oh, no, there’s more.”
Come on? - the Man perked up.
Warm. Give warmth and light! - the Sun reminded and rolled off beyond the horizon.
It became dark.
Brief everything! - the Man was indignant, - but what should I do? Grow? Flow? Or maybe give light? Give light... Moon! Hey Luna! - the Man called.
Yes? - The moon appeared from behind the ridge of the mountain and shone brighter to see who was screaming here.
What is your meaning in life? - the Man asked in a decadent voice.
Luna paused and answered solemnly:
Feel empty.
The echo echoed across the mountains. The man was already tired of being surprised by the answers, but here he could not help but be surprised:
How can you feel emptiness? This is when there is nothing! - he exclaimed.
How can you not feel emptiness? After all, this is where everything comes from,” the Moon objected softly and floated off into the sky.
The man closed his eyes and tried to comprehend everything that was said to him. It didn't work out. Everything was mixed up in my head.
“Grow, flow, give light, feel emptiness... Some kind of nonsense...” - The man shook his head and opened his eyes. A child stood in front of him.
Hello! - said the Child.
- How are you here? - the Man was scared for the Child, - Where is Mom? And why no pants?
Mom is there! - The child made a gesture that is usually used to shoo away mosquitoes. - And I... lost my stans! Why are you sitting? - He deftly changed the topic of conversation beyond his years.
I'm looking for the meaning of life...
So what, did you find it? - the Child asked.
Nope... didn't find it...
And I found it! - the Child said joyfully.
How long ago? - the Man said sarcastically.
Don't know. - said the Child.
Well, what is your meaning of life, oh wisest of the little ones running through the forest at night without trousers?
But the Child is already gone. And only from the darkness came his iridescent laughter:
- Play!!!
Ah, play! - The Man clasped his hands. - That's advice!
Frustrated, he threw a bunch of grass after the mocking Child. Didn't hit it.
Meanwhile it was dawn. The man no longer wanted to ask anyone about the meaning of life. He stood up, brushed himself off and walked wherever he could. Soon a melody appeared in his head and he began to sing. At first quietly, under your breath, and then loudly, at the top of your voice. And suddenly I felt everything around me freeze. Then the Man sang even louder, even more confidently. In his unexpected singing, he forgot about everything, and his soul felt so good, light and joyful that he was not even surprised when he saw that Time itself had stopped, allowing the sounds of a beautiful melody to flow, playfully shimmer and grow, filling everything around. ...
Everyone has their own meaning in life, and if you have thoughts that you have lost it, then this is just self-deception... You must live and give everyone warmth and kindness, so you can soon find this very meaning again. You will feel that someone really needs you. Someone needs even a simple human smile. Agree, this is very important...
