#076 THE OLD WISE MAN AND THE BIRD


High in the Himalayan mountains lived a wise old man.

 Periodically, he ventured down into the local village where with his knowledge and special talent he could tell the villagers the content in their pockets, boxes, bags and even minds.

 A few boys from the village decided to discredit his special abilities and the smartest of the group was driven by a single desire - to expose the wise man as a fool. The smart boy came up with the idea to capture a bird and hide it in his hands. He knew of course, the wise old man would know the object in his hands was a bird, so the boy devised a plan.

 Knowing the wise old man would correctly state the object in his hands was a bird, the boy would ask him if the bird was alive or dead. If the old wise man said the bird was alive, the boy would crush the bird in his hands, so that  when he open his hands the bird would be dead; if the wise man said the bird was dead, the boy would open his hands and let the bird fly free back into the forest. So no matter what the old man said, the smart boy would prove the old man a fraud.

 The following week, the wise old man came down from the mountains into the village. The boy quickly caught a bird and cupping it out of  sight in his hands, walked up to the wise man and asked: "Old man, old man, tell me what is it that I have in my hands?"

 The wise man replied "You have a bird". And he was right.

 Related image

 The boy then asked dripping with disdain: "Is it alive or is it dead?"

 Whereupon the wise old man looked at the boy and with his kindly old eyes replied: "The bird is as you choose it to be. The answer is in your hands"

 And so it is with your life...
CONSIDER THIS
TWO HANDS
I am a fist,
A sign of fear
A sign of anger
A sign of greed
A sign of tension
Image result for fist
I can pound a desk
I can hoard money
I can try to scare you
I can punch you
In the mouth.
I am a fist.
What do you think of me?
I am an open hand,
A sign of calm,
A sign of ease,
A sign of peace,
A sign of relaxation.
Image result for open hand
I can dial a phone,
I can shake a hand,
I can change the diapers,
I can play cards,
I can break the bread,
I can pass the wine,
I can heal the hurt,
I can write the poem.
I am an open hand.
What do you think of me?
Andrew Costello CSSR, “The Two Hands” in Listenings (Chicago: Thomas More, 1980) page 107.








Comments

  1. Anderson3 September 2019 at 19:09

    I like this history because in this world a lot of people actioning in a bad manner. They search to discredit other people. It is a big lesson of the old wise man. I like the last phrase of the tale "The bird is as you choose it to be. The answer is in your hands"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown21 November 2019 at 15:40

    I like this story because is truth that ultimately we are in control of our lives by virtue of the choices we make and how we respond to events, even though at times it seems we don´t have control over what is happening to us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous15 February 2020 at 19:44

    what I undertand from this story is that there will always be people trying to discredit us and is neccesary to find a way to confront that, another thing that I learnt from this story is that each of us are responsible for our actions,through our life we decide between multiple choices and with those choices we build our life, In a metaphorically way the boy's hand represent us analyzing the situation to decide wich is the best option toachieve our objectives and the bird our lifes .

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous15 February 2020 at 19:44

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous15 February 2020 at 19:45

    what I undertand from this story is that there will always be people trying to discredit us and is neccesary to find a way to confront that, another thing that I learnt from this story is that each of us are responsible for our actions,through our life we decide between multiple choices and with those choices we build our life, In a metaphorically way the boy's hand represent us analyzing the situation to decide wich is the best option to achieve our objectives and the bird our lifes .

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown17 June 2020 at 19:23

    The moral I understand in this short story is how we can know the present but it is up to us form and decide which future we want. What I understood remind me how in different times of life; I met a guy, the same guy, multiple times. And in each moment, I was considering something important or doing and he advise me. I belief is my guardian angel, although some of my friends says is myself from the future. Haha

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cedar Rodriguez Gutierrez22 September 2020 at 12:43

    This story is just about life.It invites us to reflect on the importance of taking the rain of our life.When an old wise man said to the boy:"The bird is the one you choose.The answer is in your hands" I immediately thought about the actions in my daily life.Do I depend on someone else to receive approval?How do I know if im going in the correct way?Why am I sometimes disappointed in myself?Finally, I came to the conclusion that every single moment is a new opportunity to change everything around me, to be responsible for the mind with which I create my world.Everything depends on it.Because what you choose to focus on becomes your reality.

    Cesar Rodriguez Gutierrez

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cedar Rodriguez Gutierrez22 September 2020 at 12:44

    This story is just about life.It invites us to reflect on the importance of taking the rain of our life.When an old wise man said to the boy:"The bird is the one you choose.The answer is in your hands" I immediately thought about the actions in my daily life.Do I depend on someone else to receive approval?How do I know if im going in the correct way?Why am I sometimes disappointed in myself?Finally, I came to the conclusion that every single moment is a new opportunity to change everything around me, to be responsible for the mind with which I create my world.Everything depends on it.Because what you choose to focus on becomes your reality.

    Cedar Rodriguez Gutierrez

    ReplyDelete

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