Issue nº 21

Conversations with the master - The mystery |  Stories - Two tales of the future
Reflections of the Warrior of the Light

May we be forgotten

     At the Sceta monastery, the abbot Lucas gathered the monks for the sermon.
     - May you never be remembered - he said.
     - What do you mean? - replied one of the brothers. - May our example not help those who might need it?
     - In the days when everything was just, no one paid attention to exemplary people - answered the abbot. - Everyone gave their best, without pretensions, and so fulfilled their duty to their fellow men. They loved their neighbor because they understood that this was part of life, and they thought nothing of respecting a law of nature. They shared their possessions in order not to accumulate more than they could carry, since journeys last a lifetime. They lived together in freedom, giving and receiving, without demanding or blaming anything on others. That is why their deeds were not handed down, and there is no story known about them.
     "I hope we can achieve the same thing in the present: to make goodness such a common thing, that there is no need to exalt those who practice it."

How to flatten the world

     Confucius was traveling with his disciples when he heard that a very intelligent boy lived in a nearby village. Confucius went to talk to him and jokingly asked:
     - Why don't you help me get rid of the inequalities?
     - Why do away with the inequalities? - said the boy. - If we flatten the mountains, the birds will no longer have shelter. If we put an end to the depths of the rivers and seas, all the fish will die. If the chief of the village has the same authority as the madman, no one will know what to do. The world is vast, let it have its differences.
     The disciples left, impressed by the boy's wisdom. As they made their way to another town, one of them commented that all children should be like that.
     - I have met many children who, instead of playing and doing the usual things for their age, tried to understand the world - said Confucius. - And none of these precocious children succeeded in doing anything important, later in life, because they never had a taste of innocence and the healthy irresponsibility of childhood.