Many years ago, a certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn
about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad
wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful palace
on top of a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived. Rather than finding
a saintly man, this guy, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of
activity; tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a
small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a tale covered with
platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man
conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before he could
get the man’s attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation
of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain
the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and
return in two hours.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something” said the wise
man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you move
around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.”
The boy began climbing and descending the many staircases of
the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned
to room where the wise man was.
“Well,” asked the wise man, “did you see the Persian
tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it
took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful
parchments in my library?”
The boy was embarrassed and confessed that he had observed
nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had
entrusted to him.
“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,” said the
wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his
exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the
ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the
beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon
returning to the wise man, he related everything that he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked
the wise man.
Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil
was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said
the wise man. “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world,
and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
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