Only Three Men in the World
Sep. 3rd, 2010 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jayrandomOnly Three Men in the World
Once upon a time, when the sons of Adam had multiplied exceedingly, calamities began to increase. Some of these calamities were called disease, some were called the folly of men, some were of unknown origin and meaning.
People banded themselves into tribes and nations, so that they could endure, repel or escape these calamities.
People grew apart and ceased to understand themselves and even one another. Those forms of activity which men had devised, imitated and learned, even from insects, now prevented them from giving their attention to some of the purposes for which men were originally distributed upon the earth.
The Dervish teacher Khidr travelled far and wide among the various sections of mankind, in deserts and towns, in islands and mountains, in villages and nomad camps, looking for people who might be able to hear his message: "The real welfare of man is the same as the real welfare of men."
But the strange fact was that there were only three men in the whole world who could hear him speak.
Khidr said to the first man, "Come with me on a journey, for it may perhaps do you some good."
The first man followed him, and (1) presently they came upon a river. As they looked at it, Khidr asked, "What would you like that river to be to you?"
The man said, "I would like it to obey my commands, so that I could make it work for me, and that by its use I could benefit myself and also others."
"Very well," said Khidr.
They continued on their journey, and (2) presently they came upon a mountain. Khidr said, "What would you like that mountain to be to you?"
The man said, "I would like it to give me its knowledge, for it has been here longer than I. Then I could make use of the knowledge, and pass on some of it to others."
"Very well," said Khidr.
They went on their way, and next (3) they arrived at a country of smiling fields and fruit-bearing trees.
'What would you like this country to be to you?" asked Khidr.
"I would like to have this country, for I could then live here and pass my remaining years instructing others in the wisdom which I will have gained," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
And then Khidr left this man, and in due time all these things came to pass.
Now Khidr found the second man who could hear him, and invited him to accompany him on a journey. Together they set off.
(4) They came upon a wise man who was talking to the people and Khidr asked the second companion:
"What would you like this man to be to you?"
"I would like him to accept me as his successor, so that when he died I could carry on his teaching," said the second man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
They continued on their way, and (5) presently they came upon a gathering of men who were oppressing some innocents.
"What would you like to be able to do in these circumstances, if you had the choice?" asked Khidr.
"I would like to be able to remove this oppression from those innocents, and punish the wicked," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
They continued on their way, and (6) later they arrived at a town where the people had many qualities, but yet had become so narrow-minded that they would not leave the town in order to share their abilities with others.
"What would you like to be able to do about this?" Khidr asked his companion.
"I would like to be able to convince all these people that they have a duty to share what they know with everyone in the world," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr. And he left this man, having granted his wishes.
Then Khidr went and found the third man, the last man in all the world who could hear him, and asked him to accompany him on a journey. The man agreed.
They had not been travelling very long when (7) they came to a place where there were nobles and slaves, high and low and people of a middling state as well.
"What would you like to be able to do in such a situation?" asked Khidr.
"I would like to be able to do what is really right," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
They continued on their way, and when (8) they came to some people who were hungry, since their crops had failed, Khidr asked his companion:
"Would you like these people to be fed?"
The man answered:
"I would like them to be content with poverty when it is best for them, and discontented with it when that is right for them," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
They continued on their journey, and (9) presently they arrived at a place where people all appeared pious and obedient, where they maintained law and order, and where everyone seemed contented with his lot.
"What would you like to do with these people?" asked Khidr.
"I would like them to be able to understand exactly what is good for them and what they could be doing and feeling," said the man.
"Very well," said Khidr.
Khidr, after granting this man's three wishes, left him - and it is from these nine aspirations of the only three men in the world who could hear Khidr that every kind of human enterprise and preoccupation is derived.
It was the work of the third man, however, which found acceptance with Khidr, and which is working its way out through successive generations of men.
-- сказка из сборника "Dermis probe" Идриса Шаха.
Уже больше месяца я пытаюсь понять, что же это за 9 типов человеческой деятельности. С первыми тремя кажется просто - с людьми этого уклона я имел и имею дела в основном (технология, наука и принудительное образование). Следующие три - это гуманитарии (в т.ч. политики), страшные люди. С третьими же затык. Где они вообще водятся?
UPDATE: для более удобной ссылки в текст я пронумеровал 9 эпизодов и раскрасил реплики. В оригинале нумерация и выделение отсутствовали -
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jayrandom.
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-04 11:31 pm (UTC)Наверное, так.
Не думаю, что теряется. Люди могут не осознавать заложенных в них потенций для действий и возможного диапазона чувствований. (Улитка).
Также, речь может идти о том, что они могут не понимать, к ЧЕМУ им можно и стоит прикладывать действия и чувства. (Обусловливание)
Спасибо, интересная история, раньше ее не читал. Все-таки не зря я посещаю этот журнал: нет-нет, а что-то попадется.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-04 11:46 pm (UTC)Ещё в этой книге есть серия историй про невидимость. Как достигается невидимость и зачем она нужна. Наверное напишу об этом отдельно, если будет время.