A teacher and his
disciple were walking in the garden on a warm summer day. They relished the
silence and the beautiful flowers and trees.
“Can you see, my
friend, how this world of flowers is like ours?” the teacher asked his
disciple.
“What are you
talking about, Master? How can flowers be like humans?” The disciple exclaimed
in surprise.
“Of course, they
are, you’ve got to look more attentively. Flowers have their own characters,
too.” The teacher led his disciple further into the garden.
The teacher and his
disciple were treading a narrow path until they saw a wonderful rose, a
thistle, and a raspberry bush.
“Look at these
plants. They are different but they have one thing in common—they all have
thorns. Many people also have thorns, i.e., envy, hypocrisy, anger, and bad
thoughts. Look at the rose. It’s wonderful and pleasant to look at but you
can’t touch it or caress its petals. It will sting your hand with its thorns.
That’s what proud people are like: they regard themselves better than anyone
else. They want other people to praise and honor them all the time but they
always forget that they’ll wither like roses. What will remain of them?
Here is the
thistle. It is an ugly-looking plant that is always willing to sting everyone
with its thorns and catch onto their clothes. The same is true of people who
like to gossip and to be envious. They are fond of libeling others and carrying
the unfavorable gossip around. If you don’t want to listen to them, they’ll
stick to you like thistle, and you’ll have a hard time getting rid of them.
Everyone willing to preserve his or her mind and thoughts clean keeps away from
people like these. Thistle will wither away, and what will remain?
Look at this
raspberry bush. It has thorns, too, but it also grows juicy berries that taste
so sweet! Likewise, there are people who know their weaknesses but try to give
others whatever good that they have. They do it not because they want to please
someone or to achieve honors but because they have plenty of goodness inside.
Why not share it with others?”
“Master, your
parable is so admirable!” the disciple said.
“Let’s have some
raspberry jam, my dear,” the teacher suggested. They went to the teacher’s home
and had tea together.
Be like raspberry
people! Share your goodness and make enough raspberry jam for everyone.
By Sister Natallia (Bunde)
St. Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION