1优越感背后的无能让和他的祖父途经巴黎一个广场,他看到,广场一处,一名鞋匠因为鞋子的一点小问题正被客户百般刁难。鞋匠平静地听着客户的埋怨,道了歉,保证会把问题解决。让和祖父在一家小酒馆停下用咖啡。在他们的邻桌,侍者想请一位客人移一下椅子以便腾出点位置。那个男人破口大骂,拒绝挪动。“别忘记你今天看见的,”让的祖父说道,“鞋匠接受了批评,而我们旁边的男人动都不肯动。”“有用的人,做着有用的事,他们不怕被当作一无是处。”“而无用的人经常自以为是,将他们的无能隐藏在优越感背后。”JeanwaswalkingwithhisgrandfatherthroughapublicsquareinParis.Atacertainpoint,hesawashoemakerbeingmistreatedbyaclient,whosefootwearshowedaflaw.Theshoemakerlistenedcalmlytothecomplaintandapologized,promisingtocorrecttheerror.Jeanandhisgrandfatherstoppedtohavecoffeeatabistro.Atthetablenexttothem,thewaiteraskedamantomovehischairalittleinordertomakespace.Thatmanburstintoatorrentofcomplaintsandrefusedtomove.“Neverforgetwhatyouhaveseentoday,”Jean’sgrandfathersaid,“theshoemakeracceptedthecomplaint,whilethismannexttousdidn’twanttomove.“Usefulmen,whodousefulthings,don’tmindbeingtreatedasuseless.“Buttheuselessalwaysjudgethemselvesasbeingimportantandhidealltheirincompetencebehindauthority.”错误的礼物10secondreading:thewronggift我的一个朋友MiieT.——她曾是一位经济学家——决定抛弃一切,致力于学画。她用了好几年去寻找合适的老师,直到她在西藏遇到了一位精通微型画的女人。Miie离开日本前往西藏山区,和这位一贫如洗的老师住在了一起,学习手艺。2第一年结束后,Miie回日本过了几天,然后带着满满几箱的礼物又回到西藏。她的老师看见她带来的东西,竟然大哭起来,并叫Miie不要再进她的家门了。她说:“在你回日本之前,我们的关系是关爱和平等的。你的头上有一片瓦,有足够吃的,还能画画。现在你带了这些礼物给我,就等于在我们之间划分了社会阶级。一旦有这个区别存在,我们之间就不会有理解和奉献了。”Afriendofmine,MiieT.decidedtoabandoneverythingsheknew—shewasaneconomist—inordertodedicateherselftopainting.ForyearsshesoughtanadequatemasteruntilshemetawomanwholivedinTibetandspecializedinminiatures.MiieleftJapanandwenttotheTibetanmountainsandmovedinwiththeteacher,whowasextremelypoor,tolearnwhatsheneededtolearn.Attheendofthefirstyear,MiiereturnedtoJapanforacoupleofdaysandreturnedtoTibetwithsuitcasesfilledwithgifts.Whenherteachersawwhatshehadbrought,shebegantocryandaskedMiienottocomebacktoherhome,saying,“Beforeyourtrip,ourrelationwasofequalityandlove.Youhadaroof,foodandpaints.“Now,asyoubroughtmethesegifts,youhaveestablishedasocialdifferencebetweenus.“Ifthisdifferenceexists,therecan’tbecomprehensionandsurrendering.”救了我命的那条鱼Thefishwhosavedmylife有一次,纳斯尔丁经过一个山洞,看见一位瑜伽士在里面陷入沉思的样子,就问他想弄明白什么。瑜伽士说:“我研究动物,在它们身上学到了许多可以改变人类一生的道理。”“有一条鱼曾经救了我的命,”纳斯尔丁回答,“如果你能把知道的都教我,我就告诉你发生了什么。”瑜伽士惊叹不已。只有圣人才会为鱼所救。他决定将将自己所知的倾囊相授给纳斯尔丁。3当他结束后,他问那斯尔丁:“现在我把知道的都告诉你了,如果能知道鱼怎么会救你,我会感到非常荣幸。”“很简单,”纳斯尔丁说:“抓到它的时候我已经差点饿死了,感谢那条鱼,我接下来的三天都不愁没吃的。”Nasrudiniswalkingpastacavewhenheseesayogi,deepinmeditation,andheaskstheyogiwhatheissearchingfor.Theyogisays:‘Istudytheanimalsandhavelearnedmanylessonsfromthemthatcantransformaman’slife.’‘Afishoncesavedmylife,’Nasrudinreplies.‘Ifyouteachmeeverythingyouknow,Iwilltellyouhowithappened.’TheYogiisastonished;onlyaholymancouldbesavedbyafish.AndhedecidestoteachNasrudineverythingheknows.Whenhehasfinished,hesaystoNasrudin:‘NowthatIhavetaughtyoueverything,Iwouldbeproudtoknowhowafishsavedyourlife.’‘Verysimple,’saysNasrudin,‘IwasalmostdyingofhungerwhenIcaughtitand,thankstothatfish,Ihadenoughfoodforthreedays.’法律与水果Thelawandthefruits在沙漠中的一个地区,水果稀缺。神叫来一位他的预言家,说:--让每个人一天只能吃一个水果。这条神谕被好几代人遵守着,这块土地的生态被保护得很好。因为剩余的水果提供了种子,其他的树出现了。很快,这个地区的土壤变得肥沃,让其他村子的人们好生羡慕。但是这里的人们依然每天只吃一个水果——他们虔诚地遵守着祖先中的预言家说过的话。然而,他们从不让其他村子的居民分享每年的丰厚收成。结果,很多果子都在地上烂掉了。神又叫来一位新的预言家,说:--让他们想吃多少水果就吃多少吧,然后请他们与他们的邻居分享。预言家回到村子里传达新的神谕。但是却被村民用石头砸死了——因为流传下来的习惯已经在当地居民心中根深蒂固。4随着时间的流逝,年轻的村民开始质疑这个原始的旧习,可元老们定下的法律不可妥协。他们决定放弃信仰这种宗教。于是,他们想吃多少水果就吃多少,剩下的还被拿来分给那些需要食物的人。唯一剩下的那些忠于当地宗祠的,是那些自认是圣徒的人。但实际上,他们才是看不到世界在改变的人,更没意识到人应该跟着改变。Inthedesert,fruitwasscarce.Godcalledoneofhisprophetsandsaid:-Eachpersonmayonlyeatonefruitaday.Thecustomwasobeyedformanygenerations,andtheecologyoftheplacewaspreserved.Sincetheremainingfruitsuppliedseeds,othertreesappeared.Soon,theentireregionwasturnedintofertilesoil,whichwastheenvyofothertowns.Butthepeoplecontinuedtoeatonefruitaday–theyremainedfaithfultowhattheancientprophetoftheirforefathershadtoldthem.Howevertheyneverallowedtheinhabitantsofothervillagestotakeadvantageoftheabundantharvestwithwhichtheywererewardedeachyear.Theresultwasthatfruitrottedontheground.Godcalledanewprophetandsaid:-Letthemeatasmuchfruitastheylike.Andaskthemtosharetheabundancewiththeirneighbors.Theprophetcametothetownwiththenewmessage.Buthewasstoned–forbynowthecustomwasingrainedintheheartsandmindsofeachoftheinhabitants.Withtime,theyoungervillagersbegantoquestionthebarbaricoldcustom.But,sincethetraditionoftheelderswasunbending,theydecidedtoabandonthereligion.Thus,theycouldeatasmuchfruitastheywished,andgivetheresttothoseinneedoffood.Theonlypeoplewhoremainedfaithfultothelocalchurch,werethosewhoconsideredthemselvessaints.Butintruththeywereunabletoseehowtheworldchanges,andrecognizehowonemustchangewithit.