Monday, January 18, 2010

May you all be forgotten


 'May you all be forgotten,' said the monk. 

'But why?' one of the disciples asked. 'Does that mean that our example can never serve to help someone in need?'

'In the days when everyone was just, no one paid any attention to people who behaved in an exemplary manner,' replied the monk.
'Everyone did their best, never thinking that by behaving thus they were doing their duty by their brother. They loved their neighbour because they understood that this was part of life and they were merely obeying a law of nature. They shared their possessions in order not to accumulate more than they could carry, for journeys lasted a whole lifetime. They lived together in freedom, giving and receiving, making no demands on others and blaming no one. That is why their deeds were never spoken of and that is why they left no stories.'

If only we could achieve the same thing now: to make goodness such an ordinary thing that there would be no need to praise those who practice it.

Source: Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren - Volume 1

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