The young man lived with his elderly father in a deserted place high in the mountains. Bored by such a monotonous existence, he wanted to find out what the meaning of his life was. One day he heard rumors that a sage and his disciple lived far away in the mountains. The young man wanted to see him. Wandering along the roads and paths in search of the sage, he met a boy playing by a stream on the outskirts of the village. The young man walked past, but suddenly heard behind him: “But you don’t need to go along this path at all, but along the one beyond the stream.” The young man turned around, but the boy was no longer there. After hesitating, he followed the indicated path. A few days later, at the village bridge, a young man saw a girl washing clothes. Her friendly look and smile stopped him. The thought of staying with the girl in this village and stopping the search took possession of the young man’s heart. But, remembering his decision to find the sage, he continued on his way. “You need to go along the path, which is on the other side of the village,” the gentle voice of a stranger came from behind. He turned around and the girl had disappeared. On the way, he met a young man the same age as him. They started talking and became friends. Doubts resurfaced - should we continue the search for the sage or not? And again he heard a voice behind him: “You are going down the wrong road. Turn right at the intersection." When the young man turned around, his new acquaintance had already disappeared. The indicated path led him to a dilapidated shack. An old man was sitting on a bench near the house, with whom the traveler stopped for the night. In the morning the owner told the young man that he lived alone and they could live together. “No, no,” the traveler refused, “I need to find a sage to find out what the meaning of my life is.” And he left the shack. “Where will you find me,” came the old man’s voice, “if you leave me every time?” The young man turned around, but neither the shack nor the old man were there. “So that’s who appeared to me all the time,” the young man guessed. – In all the people I met on my way, the sage himself appeared to me. Now the first person I meet will be considered my teacher.” And then he saw his elderly father coming towards him, and their old house in the mountains where they lived together. Only then did the young man understand with whom he lived, and the meaning of his life was revealed to him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). monk Simeon of Athos Mysterious conversations or hidden truths
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru