When men die of famine, you say it is the season that is to blame. What does this differ from saying, when you have caused a man’s death. “It was not I, but the weather”? ” When a public officer is neglectful, what would you do with him?”‘Cast him off,” replies the king.‘When in the […]
Responsibilities of the Government Read More »
To nourish the heart there is nothing better than to make the desires few. Here is a man whose desires are few; in some things he may not be able to keep his heart, but they will be few. Here is a man whose desires are many; in some things he may be able to
Concerning Desires Read More »
One day, the Shah was praising the head cook for the appetizing pulao he had prepared. ‘There is nothing more fit for a king than pulao!’ ‘Indeed,’ agreed Nasrudin, who was a guest at the royal table.The King continued to eat greedily. After his fourth serving he started to feel a heaviness in his stomach.
Invited to a grandee’s court, Nasrudin was offered a horse to ride. As soon as it was brought to him, he placed his right foot in the left stirrup, sprang up, and landed on its back, facing the animal’s tail.‘Perhaps you are not accustomed to the mount of gentlemen sniffed the aristocrat.‘Perhaps not,’ said Nasrudin.
Facing Animal’s Tail Read More »
Tzu King asked: “Has the nobler sort of man any hatreds?” The Master replied: “He has. He hates those who publish the faults of others; he hates men of low condition who vilify those above them; he hates those whose courage is unaccompanied by self-restraint; he hates those who are audacious but narrow-minded.” “And you,
‘Galenus’ saw a fool hanging on with his hands to the collar of a learned man and insulting him, whereon he said: ‘If he were learned he would not have come to this pass with an ignorant man.’ Two wise men do not contend and quarrel Nor does a scholar fight with a contemptible fellow. If
Two wise men do not contend and quarrel Read More »
Once upon a moonlit night, a congregation of moths gathered, their hearts aflame with desire—to be united with the candle. Their whispered deliberations echoed through the darkness: “We must send an emissary to unravel the secrets of our amorous longing.” And so, one moth embarked on a mission. He ventured to a distant castle, where
A good runner leaves no track. A good speech leaves no flaws for attack. A good reckoner makes use of no counters. A well shut door makes use of no bolts, And yet cannot be opened. A well-tied knot makes use of no rope, And yet cannot be untied. Therefore the Sage is good at
Stealing The Light Read More »
Once there was a king with a son who loved martial exercises. One night, the king had a dream that warned him his son would be killed by a lion. Fearing the dream might come true, he built a beautiful palace for his son, decorating its walls with life-sized pictures of various animals, including a lion. When the young prince saw the lion painting, his frustration at being confined boiled over. Standing near the image, he exclaimed, “Oh, you most detestable of animals! Because of a mere dream my father had, I am shut up in this palace as if I were a girl. What can I do to you now?” With these words, he reached out to a thorn tree, intending to cut a stick to beat the lion. But a sharp prickle pierced his finger, causing severe pain and inflammation. The young prince fainted and soon developed a violent fever, from which he died not many days late
It’s better to face our troubles bravely than to try to escape them Read More »
One day there was a hot discussion in the court of King Nosherwan (Persian king). Different people provided different arguments to prove their positions. But one lord of the tribe was silent at Court. The king asked him, “why are you silent and not participating in this discussion?” The lord replied, “Advisors are like doctors; doctors give medicine only to
Advisors are like doctors Read More »
