“I am in desperate need of help — or I’ll go crazy. We’re living in a single room — my wife, my children and my in-laws. So our nerves are on edge, we yell and scream at one another. The room is a hell.”
“Do you promise to do whatever I tell you?” asked the Master gravely.
“I swear I shall do anything.”
“Very well. How many animals do you have?”
“A cow, a goat and six chickens.”
“Take them all into the room with you. Then come back after a week.”
The disciple was appalled. But he had promised to obey! So he took the animals in.
A week later he came back, a pitiable figure, moaning, “I’m a nervous wreck. The dirt! The stench! The noise! We’re all on the verge of madness!”
“Go back,” said the Master, “and put the animals out.”
The man ran all the way home. And came back the following day, his eyes sparkling with joy. “How sweet life is! The animals are out. The home is Paradise, so quiet and clean and roomy!”
Anthony de Mello
More at http://www.soulwise.net/
Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer and public speaker, De Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West.
Image: A postage stamp issued by Laos in 2003 features Pha Gnai (Big Buddha) built in cement at Vat Meunna in 1922 , and is 170 metres high and 120 metres wide. Courtesy https://www.buddhiststamp.com/