In a small town came the famous pianist, laureate of prestigious prizes, holder of many honorary titles. He was a native of these places. Of course, its warm welcome, after he became the pride of this town. He was ready to show how everything has changed around him during his absence. But he asked me to take him immediately to children's music school, which was near his former home. In school, he found the old teacher who taught music to his brother once a long time ago.
- Do you remember me? asked a celebrity.
"No," replied the teacher. - You've never been in the lists of my students.
- Right, in the lists, I was not. But you taught my older brother. By the way, it you hi; he now works as an architect. I did not have anyone to leave the house and he took me with him to class. You didn't mind. In your class, I love music.
- Something to remember now I have those boyish eyes - perked up an elderly man.
The pianist continued:
I have had many teachers in my life in different subjects and areas, but my Teacher you are. Thank you for what you showed me the way to my vocation.
Once in a village, wanting to help people, came a young doctor. When he worked for a year a country doctor, died, one of his regular patients, a common man, neither bad nor good. The deceased all his life tried as best I could: help thy neighbor, in vain not to offend anyone, and indeed did not take offense. Big boss he did not, although the last in the village was not.
From afar came the relatives made the funeral arrangements, set a time. However, at the time going only distant relatives, the doctor and nobody else. They looked out into the yard, looked at the street as if everything around has died, complete silence. But nothing to do, waited for a while and suffered themselves. Fortunately, the graveyard was near. Told, buried, said the word. After that went home for the Wake. Approaching the hut, and in front of her in the yard full of people - almost the entire village came to mourn. And farewell.
In the morning guests from afar, gathered to disperse. Together with them in the street began to gather their belongings and a young doctor.
Someone asked him:
- Why are you leaving, because you came to help them?
He replied:
These people are beyond help!
To my grandfather in the village for the summer came grown-up grandson. Competent already gone, but the curiosity its not lost:
- Grandpa, why do not you like money? Money - it's power!
- What they love? Here's the situation, and you are competent, explain it to me: when we had no money, and I needed fat, I took a bag of potatoes that he grew and walked with her to my neighbor who breeds pigs. We sat down at the table and talked for a long time mentally. It was not just the exchange of ideas, and the event. If a neighbor needed a potato, then he walked over to me and brought me instead a piece of that awesome bacon. Now, to have money, I sold not two, but four bags of potatoes. This money is just enough to buy two pieces of bacon. I suspect that the neighbor is now the situation is the same, since a long time he comes to visit. And now you tell me - that my neighbor has benefited from the fact that he had sold the potatoes and bacon for money?
- Grandpa! It's easy! Your two bags of potatoes and two of the neighbor's piece of bacon, which seemed to have disappeared after exchange your products for money, turned into a gross domestic product! laughed the young man.
The teacher half a century spent in school and now accompanied him on a holiday. In the hall were gathered many of his students. Among them were teachers and scientists, doctors and athletes, managers and workers, soldiers and priests, policemen and criminals, artists, actors and people with no special talents, distinguished and ordinary people. Many taught for my life teacher.
Before parting words they said:
- You, probably, someone of his disciples proud, and for whom you feel ashamed?
The teacher said:
- No, not proud and not ashamed of it, but only happy for you - after all, everyone learned what he studied.
Once the husband with his wife walking down the street. Soon they met a stranger, which started for no apparent reason to insult the man, telling him different shit and block the path, not letting them pass. Then the husband took from his pocket a small sum of money and handed it to the bully:
I mean, if this help. She'll you need, ' he said, and while the stranger was surprised, considered the money, took the wife on.
As soon as they strayed, a woman attacked her husband:
- You don't even know this man! He abused you, shamed on the street and you give him more money and gave? But why?
The man, somewhat embarrassed by the attacks of his wife, said:
- I gave him for drugs.
After some time this pair was back on the street. On the pavement in a pool of blood lay their recent offender.
The husband looked at his wife and whispered:
I told him that he will soon need money for drugs!
The Eastern sage once asked: "is it True that when the black cat cross the road, the traveler expects failure?" "True! - replied the sage. - But only if the traveler - not a man but a mouse..."
The grandson came home from the store and he happily reported to his grandfather:
- I paid the saleswoman for 10 books, and she accidentally gave me 15. Wasn't that great?
Grandfather frowned.
So you took what you didn't pay?
The grandson was surprised:
- Think of it! Small for her loss.
Grandpa glared:
- It's not her. Let's go back to excess.
When they returned to the store, the boy told the shop assistant that she recently made a mistake and asked to pick up extra notebooks ago. The woman at first surprised, and then warmly thanked and praised the boy, saying he was wonderful and a very honest man and wished him good health and success.
After leaving the store, the grandson was beaming with pleasure. Grandpa asked:
How is it, my dear? Happy? Did you feel that honesty is a fortune? It has to be purchased, and not to waste for a few notebooks.
Once the editor of the newspaper, preparing the next issue, summoned one of the authors of the articles and began berating him for his overly critical article. The journalist tried to justify:
- I wrote the truth!
The editor replied:
Of course it is. But I as a photographer say that the matter is not in it, but in the chosen perspective: it does not change the truth, but changes her perception.
In one village there lived a Peasant. Trouble-free he was. Who not ask me to do, everyone helps. Ask for potatoes to bring - well, almost nothing. Asked meat now and meat is not expensive with shipping. Guess the villagers, there was something wrong, as if some miracles occur. But then surprise it did not go.
Long it lasted. Peasant all valued and believed in him, because everyone could get it, it's not expensive. The villagers have already begun to get used to it, became smaller plant, has ceased to keep the cattle.
Once the village police came in to arrest the village breadwinner and benefactor. He discovers he to neighboring villages and steal in his native village were brought for sale at a low price. Heard the people about this kind of trouble, gathered at the house of a Peasant, the police are not allowed, rally - such as give, clamoring, arguing, demanding:
- Don't steal, because he is good, how many people you've helped! How should we now live without our breadwinner?
As it turned out, people did not care that he hurt someone, if only they were doing well.
In the yard walked the master and his disciple were talking about all sorts of meaningless things and suddenly the young man asked:
- Teacher, why you never talk to me about wisdom?
The old man looked at the guy and sighed:
- Not yet! You're not ready.
- When will I be ready?
- See later... go on, yet, bring these four pallet of bricks from the left corner of the yard to the right.
To evening student wore in the hands of the bricks when finished, arrived tired and with a question:
- Master, I'm ready now to listen to the wisdom?
- Now you're especially not ready.
The boy wearily dropped into a chair:
- Then at least tell me why I carried all the bricks?
The teacher smiled slyly:
- Good question! I feel that you're ready to talk... about carrying the bricks. You know what would be wise would not be the thought as though well and clearly you would not tell them, you will not understand them until you're ready...
Oh, how beautiful this place is! - cried the man, seeing a high mountain, running from her meadows Creek. Is the best thing I saw on the ground. I'm going to live here!
He built a home, cozy and warm, with large Windows to the beauty of which could only dream of. Now he was the Master of the mountains.
He woke up in the morning and saw something that was admired. Went to bed, looking all in the same window. So I ran (and sometimes ran) time. Nothing changed, only for the day came to night, summer - winter.
Oh, how I'm tired of it! once exclaimed the Master of beauty.
At this point, the mountain came a traveler. They got to talking. He stayed for the night. Night long - ran out of time to hear and understand each other. Talking about what your soul is saying: about travelling and different beautiful places near and far people, about friends and women, big and beautiful love, old and young. Still a lot of what was said - it happens when you meet close friends or when friendship is born.
In the morning the traveller started going on the road. In parting, he listened to kind words from the Owner, and the said
- Can see things, hear things, I met a lot of people and realized that the truly beautiful can only be something that people have not. If man seeks dreamed of, then must he put a lot of effort not to kill your dream, and make it higher. Planted on the slopes of his mountain of delicious grapes. In the stream dissolve silver trout. Let them graze in a meadow of beautiful animals. In the home and in business helps you let your beloved woman, and all around let will be filled with children's voices. Do you see how beautiful that corner of the earth, which made you its Master. I want that for you, my friend! - he said and disappeared, as if vanished into eternity.
Died man. He was a believer and therefore, as usual in such cases, he stood before God. With him on the court was his guardian angel and Satan, who were around his whole earthly life.
And asked God for one indecent act that was committed by the person in life.
Scared believer and began to make excuses, pointing to Satan:
- He taught me! He made me do it!
Satan grinned:
Well, here it is again! Lord, I am afraid of you, how could I teach? How could I get it? I told him just said that could be done in the case, but he did it all himself.
Alexander the great spent his entire life searching for the elixir of life that gives immortality, and I found him in the Arabian desert. The elixir was found in a cave. What a joy! Alexander danced for joy. He went there alone, not taking even his closest friends. Entering the cave, he saw a spring coming from under a huge crystal that glowed all the colors of the rainbow. Spellbound, he looked at this miracle and was about to drink, suddenly heard cawing. Alexander flinched. Looking around, he saw a very old man with a beard to the ground. Next to him sat a Raven.
The old man said:
- Before you drink, think carefully. I drank this water and live for several centuries. If you knew how tired I am! I'm desperate. I want to die and can't. I'm fed up with life I have no desires. Life should be updated, and it can be updated only through death.
They say that Alexander was so affected by these words that he ran out of the cave, jumped on his horse and, without looking back, rode until the sun went down.
The statement of the Roman historian Josephus, Alexander the great, captured in 332 BC Jerusalem, a very condescending attitude to the inhabitants of the conquered city, although they were allies of his arch-enemy the Persian king Darius. The cause of this medieval Jewish commentators saw that Alexander the great was amazed by the wisdom of the elders of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which gave answers to the main questions of life raised the greatest commander of all times and peoples.
The first question, which addressed the Macedonian to the sages was: "Who is Wise in the world?"
Answered the sages: "Wise is he who knows how to ask questions and learn from everyone with whom fate brings him".
The second question was: "Who is Strong in the world?"
Answered the sages Alexander the great: "the strongest is the one who can overcome his own weakness [literally own instincts]."
The third question was: "Who then is the Hero in the world?"
Answered the sages: "the Hero who can turn his enemy into his friend [literally hating him to loving him]."
The next question was: "Who is Respected in the world?"
Answered the sages: "Respect the one who respects himself".
The fifth question was: "Who, then, is Rich in the world?"
Answered the sages of the Second Temple: "Rich is the one who knows how to enjoy all that he has."
The last of the Macedonian question was: "Who then is Happy in the world?"
And the sages said: "Happy the husband who has found a beautiful wife, beautiful in their actions."
Amazed by the wisdom of the elders of Jerusalem, Alexander the great not only gave Jerusalem to the plunder of his soldiers, but he went up to the temple mount, where he offered prayers along with the sages of the Second Temple.
