One day a certain king called the wisest of the sages and said:
– Tell me, please, most respected one, what, in your opinion, is the role of fate, intelligence and hard work in a person’s life?
The king asked the sage this question for a reason. The fact is that the king himself was convinced that both success and failure depended on fate, intelligence and hard work, but he did not know what was most important here. The king was tormented by doubts for a long time, but he could not stop at anything. And then he decided to gather a large assembly and listen to the opinions of all the learned men of his kingdom.
No sooner said than done.
However, the opinions expressed by the sages at the assembly were contradictory.
One believed that the main thing in a person’s life is fate. Fate makes him either happy or unhappy, either rich or poor, either lucky or unlucky.
Another sage assured that the mind plays the main role in a person’s life. “Even if fate favors a person,” he said, “a fool will never be able to occupy a high position. The mind alone can bring success. The mind is above all!” The third scientist argued that there are no lucky people in the world, but there are hardworking people, and only hard work can bring a person the desired benefits.
All three wise men spoke at length and in detail, but not one of them was able to prove that he was right and convince the king of the correctness of his judgments.
The king was still tormented by doubts and finally decided to resort to cunning.
He ordered his servants to dig a cave at the foot of the mountain, and in the middle of the cave a shallow well. At the bottom of that well, the servants placed a huge ear of corn, poured with honey, and then covered the well with earth, as if it had never existed at all. The king ordered the scientists who spoke at the assembly to be imprisoned in that cave, providing them only with candles and a pot of water. The scientists were perplexed: what prompted the king to do this to them? However, while the trial was ongoing, they tried to find a way to get out of captivity.
The scientist who believed in fate decided to rely on fate and went to bed. The scientist, who preferred hard work, began to examine and feel the walls of the cave, hoping that diligence would bring him deliverance. And the third, who believed that the basis of success always lies in the mind, sat down on a stone and began to reason: if there is an entrance to the cave, then there is a way out, and it will certainly be found.
However, days passed after days, the scientists’ strength dwindled, but the matter still did not move. Each of them continued to act in their own way. But they were all so absorbed in themselves that they did not talk to each other. Suddenly the attention of the scientist, who was sitting in thought on a stone, was attracted by ants. They wandered back and forth on the ground and eventually, crawling under the stone on which he was sitting, did not appear again. The scientist thought about it and decided that under the stone the earth was apparently more loose. Then he called the scientist, who pinned his hopes on hard work, and told him about his guesses, and in conclusion he said:
“I think we need to dig here.” This is the way out of imprisonment.
He agreed with his fellow sufferer and, moving the stone away, began to dig. And since the ground in this place was loose, he very quickly got to the bottom of the well and found an ear of corn. The scientist, who believes in the power of the mind, and the scientist, who relies only on hard work, began to greedily gobble up the cob, and they treated their third comrade, a follower of fate, only when they had had their fill. He was glad that this time fate had not let him down, he dug his teeth into the cob and almost broke them: a huge ruby was hidden in the cob. He hid his find from his comrades and put the stone in his pocket.
And immediately the door of the cave opened, the king’s servants entered and invited the wise men to follow them into the palace. The king cordially greeted the three wise men and began to question them in detail about everything that had happened to them. They answered the king's questions in detail, but did not say anything about the ruby.
“Now I see that faith in reason and hard work really helped you get out of trouble. But which of you found the ruby?
“I am,” answered the follower of fate. And he took a ruby out of his pocket and laid it before the king.
- How did you manage to find him? - asked the king.
And the scientist said:
– No temporary setbacks can plunge me into despondency. Finding myself in a difficult situation, I completely and completely trusted fate. Two of my comrades found an ear of corn and, out of pity, fed me too. But fate rewarded me for being the last to eat and sent me this beautiful ruby as a reward.
Then the wisest of sages spoke.
“What happened to you,” he said, addressing the sages, “once again confirms that neither fate, nor intelligence, nor hard work alone can play a decisive role in a person’s life. What would each of you achieve if he were alone in a cave? Nothing! Intelligence without work and luck, work without intelligence and luck, fate without intelligence and hard work - nothing! It was not fate that gave the ruby to the one in whose hands it is. This ruby came to him thanks to his intelligence and hard work! And if two well-fed comrades had not shown sympathy for the hungry one, for the one who sat with his hands folded and awaited fate, would this ruby now be in his hands? Neither intelligence, nor hard work, nor fate are the key to well-being. The basis of life is love for one's neighbor!
The king was delighted with such speeches from the wisest of sages, presented him with all kinds of gifts, and promoted his three comrades. Then he realized how senseless the doubts that beset him were, and he realized that only a country whose ruler is guided by love for his subjects can become prosperous and happy!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru