A man once caught a bird.
“I won’t be of any use to you in captivity,” the bird told him, “let me go, and I’ll give you three valuable pieces of advice.”
The bird promised to give the first advice in her hand, the second - when she flies up on a branch, and the third - at the top of the hill.
The man agreed and asked what her first advice was.
- If you have lost something, even if you valued it no less than your life, do not regret it.
The man released the bird, and it flew up onto a branch and said its second piece of advice:
- Never believe anything that contradicts common sense and has no evidence.
Then she flew to the top of the hill and shouted from there:
- Oh, unfortunate one! I swallowed two huge diamonds. If you had killed me, they would have been yours.
In despair, the man grabbed his head.
“Give me at least your third piece of advice,” he said, coming to his senses.
- What a fool you are! - exclaimed the bird, - you are asking me for the third advice, without even thinking about the first and second. I told you not to regret what you lost and not to believe nonsense, but you just did the opposite. You believed the absurdity and regretted what you lost! Think for yourself how two huge diamonds can fit in me, so small. You are stupid, so you must stay within the boundaries that are meant for ordinary people.
In dervish circles this parable is given great importance, for it is believed that it sensitizes the mind of the student, preparing him for experiences that cannot be brought about by any ordinary means.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru