Sufi parable from Attar A prudent and stubborn ant was looking at the flower nectar, when suddenly a dragonfly rushed from a height onto the flower, tasted the nectar and flew away, then flew up and attached itself to the flower again.
- And how do you live without work and without any plan? - asked the ant. - If you have neither a real nor a relative goal, what is the meaning of your life and what will be its end?
Dragonfly replied:
- I am happy and most of all I love pleasure. This is my life and my goal. My goal is to have no goals. You can make whatever plans you want for yourself, but you cannot convince me that I am unhappy. You have your plan, and I have mine.
The ant did not answer, but thought: “What is obvious to me is hidden from her. She doesn’t know what the lot of ants is. I know what the fate of dragonflies is. She has her plan, I have mine.”
And the ant crawled on its way, for it did everything in its power to warn the dragonfly. A lot of time passed, and their paths converged again. The ant crawled into the butcher's shop and, perching under the block of wood on which the butchers were chopping meat, began to prudently await its share. Suddenly a dragonfly appeared in the air. Seeing the red meat, she began to smoothly descend onto the block. As soon as she sat down, the butcher's huge ax suddenly fell on the meat and cut the dragonfly in two. Half of her body rolled down, right under the ant’s feet. Having picked up the prey, the ant dragged it into its home, muttering to itself:
“Your plan is over, but mine continues.” “You - your plan” no longer exists, and “me - mine” begins a new cycle. Pleasure seemed important to you, but it is fleeting. You lived to eat and, in the end, to be eaten yourself. When I warned you, you decided that I was a grump and was spoiling your pleasure.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru