Once a man
came to an elder and saw that he was very kind to everyone. The man
asked him:
– You’re
so wise. You’re always in a good mood, and you’re never angry. Help me become
like you.
The elder
agreed and asked the man to bring a potato and a transparent packet.
– If you
get angry at someone or hold a grudge against someone, - the elder said, - take
a potato. Carve the name of the person you are in conflict with on this potato
and put it in the packet.
– And
that’s it? – the man wondered.
– No. You
have to keep this packet with you all the time. Every time you resent someone,
you have to put a potato in it.
The man
agreed. After a while, his packet got filled with numerous potatoes and became
rather heavy. It was really difficult to carry it every day. What is more, the
first potato that he had put in the packet started to rot. It was covered with
a slimy and nasty patina, while the
other potatoes sprouted and began to stink.
Then the man came to the elder and said:
– It’s just impossible to carry this packet. Firstly,
it’s too heavy. Secondly, the potatoes have rotted. Give me some other advice.
But the elder replied:
– The same happens in one’s soul. We just can’t notice
it at once. Our acts turn into habits, and our habits turn into our character that
bring nasty vices to life. I just gave you a possibility to look at this
process from the outside. Every time you decide to resent someone or take
offense at someone, think thoroughly whether you need this burden.
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds
CONVERSATION