Wise short parables about life. Why are people screaming? reasons to read parables about life

Why do people need books? This question has been asked many times by great philosophers, thinkers and ordinary people. Each creation of a writer is a small world that brings something new to the reader: some books teach you to love and empathize, others always come to the rescue and appreciate friendship, others teach you to set life priorities correctly. However, there are books that bring nothing but chaos and confusion, but they can hardly be called literature. Tales and short stories, short stories and novels, fables and fairy tales... All this is a great heritage of human wisdom, on a separate stage of which are parables about the meaning of life .

What are these short stories filled with deep meaning, which is sometimes impossible to convey even in a three-volume collected works. What is their great power? Who are these talented creators who gave readers wise words about the meaning of life and human relationships, about faith and hope, about love and mutual understanding, about tolerance and piety?

Why do we need parables about life?

Each of us from a young age, albeit unconsciously, began his acquaintance with parables - short stories about fictional heroes who carried a lesson and morality, every mother was sure to tell. And if in childhood it was perceived as part of upbringing, parental instruction, then in adulthood, parables open up from a completely different side. In addition to the obvious meaning that the work is fraught with, more and more new facets and subtexts appear that can show the full depth of morality.

The main feature of parables, in addition to their meaningful content and small volume, is their peculiar infinity - if stories or novels are interesting only at the first reading, then philosophical parables about life You can re-read an unlimited number of times, and with each reading they will become more and more interesting. They unobtrusively, metaphorically open the eyes of readers to the only important thing in the world - goodness, mutual understanding and spirituality. Moreover, it does not matter how many years ago the parable was created - five years or five centuries ago - it does not lose its relevance, just as moral values ​​transmitted from generation to generation do not become unnecessary or unimportant.

Parables about life and wisdom: where to start acquaintance?

In the context of modernity, literature has ceased to play a primary role - the Internet, mobile phones, e-books and other gadgets have replaced printed publications. Of course, this technique, when used wisely, can bring a lot of good - in a matter of seconds, find the necessary information, tell absolutely any work, no matter what year and origin it may be. On the other hand, no device is able to create a magical aura that appears at the moment when you open a book. That is why read stories about life better in a printed version - this will help to feel the full power of the word, tactilely feel the softness of the pages, breathe in a special typographical aroma and absorb every word said in the parable.

However, there is nothing seditious to draw the wisdom of centuries online - no matter how paradoxical it may sound, there are many really valuable and deep collections of parables on the net that will allow you to plunge into the world of morality and spirituality, take a step towards a more conscious perception of yourself and get closer to knowledge of true values.

Beautiful parables about life young listeners and readers really like it - the child's soul is especially subtle and sensitive, so such works cannot fail to find a response in it. Therefore, caring parents who seek to raise their child as a full-fledged and spiritually developed personality should begin to get acquainted with this genre from the first years of the baby's life. Such upbringing will be useful not only for the baby, but also for the parents themselves - light, kind and instructive parables will explain to the child what cannot be conveyed directly, and the adult will be reminded of how important the soul is.

5 reasons to read parables about life

1. Such works allow you to look at life from a different angle, direct your consciousness in the right direction, take a step towards self-development and reconsider your own values.
2. In moments of special emotional experiences, there is nothing better than parables of life and wisdom . They will tell you what to do in a given situation, share the wisdom of the ages, and help open your eyes to ongoing events.
3. From these mini-stories it breathes goodness and light. Here you will not find dullness, despondency, cruelty and abuse - the stories are presented in such a way that they look more like positive stories about someone else's experience than instructions.
4. Such a collection will be an excellent antidepressant for stress and longing, sadness and unmotivated anxiety. An evening spent with a book of parables will relieve the stress of the past day, fill the soul with light and some indescribable faith in the beautiful, help you become more tolerant of others and understand what has been hidden up to this point.
5. Parables should become a reference book for any parent - these mini-stories will be able to explain what is beyond the power to present in their own words. How to explain what God is? How to convey to a child that it is possible to hurt with a word more painfully than with a deed, and helping one's neighbor should be in the order of things? Only with the help of wise parables!

Beautiful parables about life: a moral lesson or educational literature?

Each parable is its own ode to a small chest in which morality is stored. And although their variety is limitless, as spiritual matters are limitless, the most popular narratives touch on the following aspects:

1. Happiness. What is real happiness, not polished, fake, ostentatious, but small and touching the soul to tears? In something distant, unattainable, or in simple trifles? The answers to these questions can be found in parables.
2. About relationships. Of course, no story is complete without describing the relationship between people. A friendly shoulder, substituted at the right moment, the support of an outsider, a kind deed towards a stranger - this is what is really valuable.
3. Dreams. Not to confuse a desire and a dream, not to give up a dream for the sake of a momentary good means to take the first step towards success.
4. Properly prioritized. In the bustle of modern megacities, it is so difficult to notice what is really important - the loving look of a loved one, the smile on the face of a passerby, the first flower that blossomed in the spring. Pay attention to the beautiful to make your life a little happier!
5. Attitude to money and career. Are finances as important as we used to think. Is buying 101 handbags more important than a couple of hours spent with the family? Is it really worth working non-stop for the sake of relaxing on the overseas coast instead of spending the weekend next to those who are looking forward to it so much? Work to live or live to work? Do not make a mistake in choosing, so as not to miss the really important!

This list can be continued indefinitely - folk wisdom, collected together in parables, has no boundaries.

Wise parables about the meaning of life

Why do you get up every morning, go to an unloved job, sit in the office from 9 to 18, listen to the boss’s displeased remarks, stand in traffic jams, and then break down on loved ones because of fatigue and devastation? Is this really your true purpose? Parables will help to find answers to these difficult questions.

Parables about life designed to remind people of what really matters. Not without reason, many collections are opened by a phrase that has long lost its author and has become popular: "Proverbs are the real art of words to hit the heart". The search for the meaning of life is considered one of the most important tasks of a person in self-knowledge. In order not to get lost on this difficult path, from time to time pick up a collection of these wise stories so as not to forget about something important.

For many years I have been collecting wise, beautiful, instructive stories. Surprisingly, the authors of most of these masterpieces are unknown. It is probably the depth and inner beauty of these miniatures that turns them into modern folklore passed from mouth to mouth. I bring to your attention the ten best parables about the meaning of life and the important things that allow you to compare life guidelines, distinguish true greatness and spiritual wealth from the limited world of everyday fuss, although sometimes it looks solemn and magnificent. Chose to your taste, of course.

Full bank.

The professor of philosophy, standing in front of his audience, took a five-liter glass jar and filled it with stones, each at least three centimeters in diameter.
- Is the jar full? the professor asked the students.
- Yes, full, - answered the students.
Then he opened the package with peas and poured out its contents into a large jar, shaking it a little. Peas took a free place between the stones.
- Is the jar full? - once again the professor asked the students.
“Yes, full,” they replied.
Then he took a box filled with sand and poured it into a jar. Naturally, the sand occupied a completely existing free space and closed everything.
Once again, the professor asked the students, is the jar full? They answered: yes, and this time definitely, it is full.
Then from under the table he took a mug of water and poured it into the jar to the last drop, soaking the sand.
The students laughed.
- And now I want you to understand that the bank is your life. Stones are the most important things in your life: family, health, friends, your children - everything that is necessary for your life to still remain complete even if everything else is lost. Peas are things that have become important for you personally: work, home, car. Sand is everything else, little things.
If you first fill the jar with sand, there will be no room left for peas and stones. And also in your life, if you spend all your time and all your energy on the little things, there is no room for the most important things. Do what makes you happy: play with your children, spend time with your spouse, meet friends. There will always be time to work, clean the house, fix and wash the car. First of all, take care of stones, that is, the most important things in life; determine your priorities: the rest is just sand.
Then the student raised her hand and asked the professor, what is the significance of water?
The professor smiled.
I'm glad you asked me about it. I did this simply to prove to you that no matter how busy your life is, there is always a little room for idle idleness.

Most valuable

One person in childhood was very friendly with an old neighbor.
But as time went on, college and hobbies appeared, then work and personal life. Every minute the young man was busy, and he did not have time to remember the past, or even to be with loved ones.
Once he learned that a neighbor had died - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the boy's deceased father. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.
In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the empty house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago ...
Here are just a small golden box, in which, according to the old man, was kept the most valuable thing for him, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of her few relatives had taken her, the man left the house.
However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing the neighbor's name on it, the man shuddered and opened the box.
Inside was the same golden box. It contained a gold pocket watch engraved with "Thank you for the time you spent with me."
And he realized that the most valuable thing for the old man was the time spent with his little friend.
Since then, the man tried to devote as much time as possible to his wife and son.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths. It is measured by the number of moments that make us hold our breath.Time is slipping away from us every second. And it needs to be spent right now.

footprints in the sand(Christian parable).

One day a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along a sandy shore, and next to him was the Lord. Pictures from his life flashed in the sky, and after each of them he noticed two chains of footprints in the sand: one from his feet, the other from the feet of the Lord.
As the last picture of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. And he saw that often only one chain of footprints stretched along his life path. He also noticed that these were the most difficult and unhappy times in his life.
He became very sad and began to ask the Lord:
“Didn’t You tell me: if I follow Your path, You will not leave me. But I noticed that during the most difficult times of my life, only one chain of footprints stretched across the sand. Why did You leave me when I needed You the most?The Lord answered:
“My sweet, sweet child. I love you and will never leave you. When there were sorrows and trials in your life, only one chain of footprints stretched along the road. Because in those days I carried you in my arms.

Dream.

While flying the plane on one of the routes, the pilot turned to his friend-partner:
“Look down at this beautiful lake. I was born not far from him, over there is my village.
He pointed to a small village, which, like a perch, nestled in the hills near the lake, and remarked:
- I was born there. As a child, I often sat by the lake and fished. Fishing was my favorite pastime. But when I was a kid fishing in the lake, there were always airplanes in the sky. They flew over my head, and I dreamed of the day when I could become a pilot myself and fly a plane. This was my only dream. Now she is fulfilled.
And now every time I look down at this lake and dream of the time when I retire and go fishing again. Because my lake is so beautiful ...

Lame kitten.

The seller of one small shop attached an announcement “Kittens for sale” at the entrance. This inscription attracted the attention of the kids, and a few minutes later a boy entered the store. Having greeted the seller, he timidly asked about the price of the kittens.
- From 30 to 50 rubles, - the seller answered.
Sighing, the child reached into his pocket, took out his wallet and began to count the change.
“I have only 20 rubles now,” he said sadly. "Please, can I at least look at them," he asked the salesman hopefully.
The seller smiled and took the kittens out of the big box.
Once in the wild, the kittens meowed contentedly and rushed to run. Only one of them, for some reason, clearly lagged behind everyone. And somehow strangely pulled up the hind leg.
- Tell me, what about this kitten? the boy asked.
The seller replied that this kitten had a congenital foot defect. “It’s for life,” the vet said. - added the man.
Then the boy for some reason became very agitated.
- That's what I would like to buy.
- Are you laughing, boy? This is a defective animal. Why do you need it? However, if you are so merciful, then take it for free, I will give it to you anyway,” said the seller.
Here, to the seller's surprise, the boy's face fell.
“No, I don’t want to take it for free,” the child said in a tense voice.
- This kitten costs exactly the same as the others. And I'm willing to pay full price. I will bring you money he added firmly.
Looking at the child in amazement, the salesman's heart trembled.
- Son, you just do not understand everything. This poor thing will never be able to run, play and jump like other kittens.
At these words, the boy began to wrap the trouser leg of his left leg. And then the amazed seller saw that the boy's leg was terribly twisted and supported by metal hoops.
The child looked at the seller.
- I will never be able to run and jump either. And this kitten needs someone who would understand how hard it is for him, and who would support him, - the boy said in a trembling voice.
The man behind the counter began to bite his lips. Tears welled up in his eyes… After a short silence, he forced himself to smile.
- Son, I will pray that all kittens would have such wonderful warm-hearted owners as you.

… It really doesn't matter who you are, but the fact that there is SOMEONE who will truly appreciate you for who you are, who will accept and love you without any reservations. After all, the one who comes to you at that time how the whole world goes FROM you, and there is a real Friend.

Cups of coffee.

A group of graduates of a prestigious university, successful, having made a wonderful career, came to visit their old professor. During the visit, the conversation turned to work: graduates complained about numerous difficulties and life problems.
Having offered coffee to his guests, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a coffee pot and a tray filled with a variety of cups: porcelain, glass, plastic, crystal. Some were simple, others expensive.
When the graduates took apart the cups, the professor said:
- Please note that all the beautiful cups were dismantled, while the simple and cheap ones remained. And although it is normal for you to want only the best for yourself, but this is the source of your problems and stress. Realize that the cup alone does not make the coffee better. Most often, it is simply more expensive, but sometimes it even hides what we drink. In reality, all you wanted was just coffee, not a cup. But you deliberately chose the best cups, and then looked at who got which cup.
Now think: life is coffee, and work, money, position, society are cups. They are just tools for maintaining and maintaining Life. What cup we have does not determine or change the quality of our Life. Sometimes, concentrating only on the cup, we forget to enjoy the taste of the coffee itself.

The happiest people are not those who have the best, but those who make the best of what they have.

your cross(Christian parable).

One person seemed to have a very hard life. And one day he went to God, told about his misfortunes and asked him:
“May I choose a different cross for myself?”
God looked at the man with a smile, led him into the vault, where there were crosses, and said:
- Choose.
A man entered the vault, looked and was surprised: “There are so many crosses here - small, and large, and medium, and heavy, and light.” For a long time a man walked around the vault, looking for the smallest and lightest cross, and, finally, he found a small, small, light, light cross, approached God and said:
“God, can I have this one?”
"Yes," God replied. - This is your own.

Glass in outstretched hand.

The professor began his lesson by taking a glass with a small amount of water in his hand. He held it up so that everyone could see it and asked the students:
How much do you think this glass weighs?
- 50 grams, 100 grams, 125 grams, - the students answered.
"I really won't know until I weigh it," said the professor, "but my question is: what would happen if I held it, as I do now, for a few minutes?"
“Nothing,” the students said.
- Well, what would happen if I held it like now, for an hour? the professor asked.
“Your arm would start to hurt,” said one of the students.
"You're right, but what would happen if I held it all day?"
“Your hand would go numb, you would have a severe muscular disorder and paralysis, and you would have to go to the hospital just in case.
- Very good. But while we were discussing here, has the weight of the glass changed? the professor asked.
- No.
- And what makes the arm hurt and causes muscle breakdown?
The students were puzzled.
What do I need to do to fix this? the professor asked again.
“Put down the glass,” one of the students said.
- Exactly! the professor said. It's always like that with life's problems. Just think about them for a few minutes and they are with you. Think about them a little longer and they start to itch. If you think even longer, they will paralyze you. You can't do anything.
It is important to think about the problems in life, but it is even more important to be able to put them off: at the end of the working day, the next day. So you do not get tired, wake up every day fresh and strong. And you can manage any problem, any kind of challenge that comes with you along the way.

All in your hands(eastern parable)

Long ago, in an ancient city, there lived a Master surrounded by disciples. The most capable of them once thought: "Is there a question that our Master could not answer?" He went to a flowering meadow, caught the most beautiful butterfly and hid it between his palms. Butterfly paws clung to his hands, and the student was ticklish. Smiling, he approached the Master and asked:
- Tell me, which butterfly is in my hands: alive or dead?
He firmly held the butterfly in his closed palms and was ready at any moment to squeeze them for the sake of his truth.
Without looking at the student's hands, the Master replied:
- All in your hands.

fragile gifts(parable from M. Shirochkina).

Once a wise old man came to a village and stayed to live. He loved children and spent a lot of time with them. He also liked to give them gifts, but he gave only fragile things. No matter how hard the children tried to be neat, their new toys often broke. The children were upset and wept bitterly. Some time passed, the sage again gave them toys, but even more fragile ones.
One day, the parents could not stand it and came to him:
“You are wise and wish only the best for our children. But why do you give them such gifts? They try their best, but the toys still break and the children cry. But the toys are so beautiful that it is impossible not to play with them.
“Very few years will pass,” the old man smiled, “and someone will give them his heart. Maybe this will teach them to handle this priceless gift a little more carefully?

These short parables will help you find your answers to the questions “What is the meaning of life?”, “How to be happy?”. Read and reflect!

Many of these parables do not speak directly about the meaning of a person's life, but contain wise advice that will help you find it. To your attention, parables about the meaning of life!

The Parable of the Two Builders

A traveler was driving along the road and sees how two people are doing hard work - they are dragging huge stones and hewing them.

- What are you doing? the traveler asked the first builder.

- What do you not see? Carrying these blocks, damn them! My strength is no more, and the owner pays little ...

Then the traveler went to the second man, who also worked hard, dragging the stones.

- What are you doing?

- I'm building a temple.

Both builders did the same work, but treated it differently. What are you doing?

No more strength to fight...

One girl tried to live right, but one day she was so tired of swimming against the current, she was overcome by problems and difficulties. With such complaints, she came to her wise father to tell her how to live on.

He, instead of answering his tired daughter, took out three pots, poured water into them and put them on fire. In one he threw an egg, in another he threw carrots, and in the third he poured ground coffee. Time passed and he asked his daughter if she saw any changes.

- Certainly! – answered the girl. The egg and carrots are cooked, but the coffee is completely dissolved.

- It is not that simple! the wise father replied. - Look at the egg - it was soft under the shell, but after being in boiling water, it became hard. This happens with people who endure the trials that have fallen to them, even if they look weak in appearance - difficulties only harden them. But hard carrots boiled and became soft - so many people who are outwardly strong, having met with problems, behave like weaklings, bending under the situation ...

“What about coffee, Father?”

“And coffee didn’t just dissolve in hot water, but turned it into a fragrant tasty drink. There are people who are not changed by problems, it is they who change the situation and the environment around them, influencing circumstances and benefiting from the situation.

And who are you: egg, carrot or coffee?

How to drive away bad thoughts?

Once a woman came to the priest and complained:

“I can’t anymore, bad thoughts overwhelm me. I try to think about the good, but I can’t - everything bad comes into my head! Why is that?

To which the priest replied:

What do you think, which person is easier to drive away - good or evil?

- Of course, good! He will leave immediately if you ask.

- That's the way it is with thoughts - it's easy to frighten off a good one, but a bad one asks for itself in the head and does not want to leave. Here only the Lord will help!

Relevant for those who are tormented by thoughts of suicide - drive them away from your head in the name of the Lord!

Your life is your reflection

In one castle there was a room in which the ceiling, walls and floor were made of mirrors. And then one day the dog of the owner of the castle accidentally ran into it. Seeing hundreds of reflections of large dogs everywhere, the animal became frightened and bared its teeth, preparing to defend itself. In response, she saw a hundred grinning dogs, and began to bark and rush around the room, trying to get away from them. So the night passed, and in the morning the servants found the lifeless body of the poor animal.

But if the dog had not bared its mouth, but wagged its tail in a friendly manner, it would have remained alive!

Such is our life - for the good and the world around is good and beautiful, for the evil and everything around is evil. The fate of the first is a happy life, the fate of the second is a painful existence ...

Tour of life.

One traveler came across a castle that offered the service of an individual tour of it. Turning to the guide, the person found out that only one person is allowed into the castle, without a guide, but there is something to see there - weapon rooms, a wonderful collection of paintings by great painters, a barn with wine and magnificent interiors of the end of the century before last. At the same time, you need to pay for the tour at the end of the inspection of the building and there is no fixed price.

- Like this? asked the astonished traveller.

- We will give you a spoon with sand, and how many grams of sand you lose during the tour, so many coins you will need to pay. the caretaker replied.

The man agreed and thought: “What if I don’t spill a single grain? Then the tour will be free!” He carefully walked through the magnificent castle, looking first at his feet, then at the spoon, which he held with a trembling hand. He did not go into some halls, because there was a draft there, and he did not dare to raise his eyes and look at the paintings or touch the ancient weapons, being afraid to drop the sand. Soon the traveler returned to the caretaker and he weighed the sand:

- Congratulations, sir! You only lost half a gram, so you don't have to pay anything. Did you enjoy walking around our castle?

- To be honest, not really. I was so afraid of losing the sand that I didn’t really see anything.

— Oh, what a pity. Then I allow you to quickly run through the castle and see everything, but you only have two minutes - a new visitor will soon arrive! You don’t have to worry about sand this time - sprinkle as much as you want.

The traveler quickly rushed through the floors and rooms of the castle, briefly examining its beauty and scattering sand anywhere. And again, out of breath, he returned to the caretaker.

How do you like our castle this time?

- To be honest, this time I didn’t like the tour either - I walked very quickly and didn’t have time to see anything!

— To tell the truth, our excursion is called "Life". We made it so that people understand that they should not be afraid to pay the price for the delights of this life and happiness. If you take care of yourself and don’t give anything away, at the end of your life you will realize that it was meaningless and you thought only about yourself. But you don’t need to live the way your second excursion went: rush, scatter right and left, wasting your days ineptly ... Appreciate every moment of your life and enjoy it, pay for what is worth paying for ...

A parable is a short story that has some deep philosophical meaning. It makes you think about something important, vital. The most common among the people are parables about meaning, since this is the topic that worries all people from time immemorial. Old stories brought from the last century are valued as wiser, they feel 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 described situation took place, the main thing is the meaning.

The stories do not have to be long, some parables about the meaning of life are short, like a match, and you can read them before it burns out. However, this does not prevent them from carrying a certain message that will help some to decide what we live for, and others will simply give food for thought. Below are some well-known and interesting parables about the meaning of life as examples.

Example: "Donkey and well"

The donkey fell into the well and began to scream invitingly, attracting the attention of the owner. He really came running, but he 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 start a new one. Let me fill the well right now! I’ll do 2 useful things right away.”

No sooner said than done, the man invited the neighbors, and they began to throw earth in the well and the donkey inside, ignoring the cries of the poor animal, who guessed what was happening.

Soon the donkey fell silent. People became curious why he was quiet, they looked into the well and saw such a picture: every clod of earth that fell on top of his back, the donkey threw off himself, and then crushed it with his hooves. As a result, when the men continued, the animal finally reached the top and got out.

Life sends people a lot of trouble, 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 get up. The main thing is not to sit back and do something.

What Parables Teach

Each parable teaches something different. For example, the one above makes it clear that you should never give up, even in cases where the situation seems hopeless, and that in order to achieve a positive result, you just need to think carefully and try to find a way out. Most often, it is precisely this meaning that is put into these small philosophical stories by those who are capable of it. Some parables came to people straight from the sages, some were simply invented by 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 interesting problems.

Example: "Life and Coffee"

One day, graduates of a prestigious college went to visit their wise professor, who 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 plain, plastic, cheap.

Look what you have chosen, - the professor began, when 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 your main goal. Think about it: coffee is our life, but money, society, work are just cups. We strive for the most beautiful cup, forgetting to fill it with contents. But after all, it serves only as a means to help maintain life. The main thing is coffee and its taste.

Why are parables useful?

From the example above, it is immediately clear that parables can carry a truly large-scale idea. Indeed, our lives are comparable to coffee. People are trying to earn a lot of money, they strive to live in luxurious houses, dress beautifully and expensively, they are looking for life partners not for love, but for other qualities such as 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 wrapper, when compared with sweets), but in the contents. Surely many have heard that rich people are most often unhappy. They have everything, so they just don't know what else they need. On the other hand, poor people living in modest huts can be so satisfied with their lives that it is simply amazing.

By the way, in parables and similar philosophical stories, comparisons are very fond of. Even in both of the examples above, lives are being compared to something/someone. This happens for a better human perception of meaning.

What is the best age to start learning parables?

There is no specific answer to this question, however, the older the person, the wiser he is, and therefore the real meaning that the authors wanted to convey to the reader is easier to understand. some parables are so easy to understand (most often due to the notorious comparison mentioned earlier) that absolutely any person, even the most distant from philosophy, can understand them.

Most often, parables begin to interest along with the question that comes to mind about the meaning of life. For someone it may be at the age of 15, for someone at 30, but the fact remains: it is the parables that help to find answers to vital questions of interest. And absolutely any, since they relate to almost all areas.

East is a delicate matter

Most often, people are not interested in ordinary, but about the meaning of life. This happens because it is in the East that there are more wise men and masters, unlike other peoples, which means that full-fledged stories created by true masters of their craft flow from there. Of course, this is not always true, since any author, whether from London or Russia, can call a parable “Eastern”, 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 decided to fly a little closer, and soon she returned.

The fire is shining, she announced.

Another butterfly decided to keep up with the first, so it also decided to fly up to the candle. She only approached the fire closer than her first friend, in order to better understand what was happening, and therefore set her wing a little on fire.

Fire burns! - 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 did not return, but she fulfilled her dream - to know what the power and nature of fire is. Unfortunately, she could no longer tell the truth to the remaining butterflies.

Parables and the meaning of life

Everyone is looking 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 remain silent. The dead, for example, know the meaning of life, but they cannot tell it to earthly people, no matter how much they themselves would like to.

All parables in one way or another affect the meaning of existence, but they are unlikely to give an exact answer to the curious. Only hints, hints, which everyone will perceive in their own way and develop into a full-fledged idea, thought. Not everyone will succeed, however, some will consider that all parables are complete nonsense, but perhaps someday they will still think about this issue.

One confused visited a Sufi master and said to him:

I have only one question for you. Why, no matter which Sufi I turn to, I always seem to get different advice?

The master replied:

Let's go for a walk around the city and see what we can learn about this mystery.

They entered the market, and the Sufi asked the greengrocer:

Tell me what prayer is this time for?

The greengrocer replied:

Now is the time for morning prayer.

They continued walking. After some time, the Sufi, seeing the tailor, asked him:

The tailor replied:

Now is the time for midday prayer.

The Sufi, after talking with the seeker for some time, approached another man, this time the bookbinder, and asked him:

What is the time for prayer?

The man replied:

Now is the time for afternoon prayer.

The Sufi turned to his companion and said:

Let's continue the experiment, or are you convinced that the same, in essence, the question can cause almost completely different answers, each of which corresponds to the current moment?

Parable about how to respond to people

One of the disciples asked the Buddha:

If someone hits me, what should I do?

The Buddha replied:

If a dry branch falls on you from a tree and hits you, what should you do?

The student said:

What will I do? It's just an accident, just a coincidence that I ended up under a tree when a branch fell from it.

So do the same. Someone was mad, was angry, and hit you. It's like a branch from a tree has fallen on you. Don't let it bother you, just go your own way as if nothing happened.

One day a son asked his father:

What is the cross that every person has to bear all his life? Where does it come from, and why do many say that the cross that fell to their lot is too heavy?

Father took a piece of paper and a pencil. He drew a vertical line on a piece of paper and said to his son:

Do you see this line? This is the will of God.

Draw a second horizontal line so that it intersects the first.

And this line, he said, is the will of man. The larger the second line, the heavier the cross that a person must carry through life.

One wise man, speaking to the audience, told them an anecdote. The entire audience shook with laughter.

A few minutes later he told the people the same anecdote again. Only a few people smiled.

The sage told the same joke a third time, but no one laughed.

The wise old man smiled and said, "You can't laugh at the same joke all the time... So why do you allow yourself to cry over the same thing all the time?"

5 short proofs of feelings

1. One day, a village suffering from drought decided to pray together for saving rain. On the appointed day, everyone went to the square ... But only one boy took an umbrella with him. This is Faith.
2. When you play with a child and throw him into the air, he laughs happily and looks around with eyes full of delight from a height, because he knows that you will catch him. This is Trust.
3. Every night we go to bed with no guarantee that we will wake up tomorrow morning, but in spite of everything, we set the alarm again and again. This is Hope.
4. Every day we make plans for the future, despite the fact that we have no idea what events will happen tomorrow, in a week, in two hours. This is Confidence.
5. Every day we see people quarreling, cheating, hating and breaking up. We understand that we are unlikely to avoid the same ... But nevertheless, in spite of everything, we still Love!

Parable about human hearts

Somehow he came to one village and stayed there to live