One day Starchik came to Poltava, sat down in Zeleny Gai, not far from the Assumption Cathedral, and began shouting:
- I sell wisdom; One Wisdom is a penny, for a nickel - two!
So the rich man came up to him and said:
“I,” he says, “will give you a gold piece if you answer two questions for me.”
“I agree,” said Starchik, “sit down next to each other, let’s talk well.”
The rich man sat down next to the Starchik and asked:
“Here is my first question: is it proper for a sage to engage in such a trade?”
“Why not,” said Starchik. - This is the only thing I have. And I need money too. Look around: people make money from the wind, but I make money from the thoughts of the heart.
“Then here’s my second question for you,” says the rich man. —Can money buy wisdom?
“It’s possible, if the word is appropriate, if what is said will help a person overcome the problem.”
- And how much do you earn like that?
“This is the third question,” Starchik noted. - But I will answer. A sage, like a sower, always sows seeds of wisdom. But he does not forget that the harvest depends on many natural conditions.
“Then give me the answer to one more question, and you will receive two gold pieces from me.”
- Okay, ask.
“I always have a good harvest, but I’m not happy.” Why is this so?
And the Starchik said:
- Your harvests are your restlessness. Your eyes are open, but they don’t see the sun. The more grain you have, the more rats you have in your barn. Be like me and don’t think about profit or loss. Remember: according to the arithmetic of happiness, one penny is equal to two gold coins, and vice versa: two gold coins are equal to one penny, no more, no less.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru