King Pyrrhus of Epirus was asked by his friend Cyneas, “If you conquer Rome, what will you do next, Sir?”
Pyrrhus replied, “Sicily is next door and will be easy to take.”
“And what shall we do after Sicily is taken?”
“Then we will move over to Africa and sack Carthage.”
“And after Carthage, Sir?”
“The turn of Greece will come.”
“And what, may I ask, will the fruit of all these conquests be?”
“Then,” said Pyrrhus, “we can sit down and enjoy ourselves.”
“Can we not,” said Cyneas, “enjoy ourselves now?”
Anthony de Mello
More from his book The Heart of the Enlightened
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 of Albanian postage stamp of Pyrrhus of Epirus issued in 1990, courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/
Pyrrhus (319-272 BC) was a Greek king and statesman of the Hellenistic period. He is regarded as one of the greatest generals of antiquity. Several of his victorious battles caused him unacceptably heavy losses, from which the term “Pyrrhic victory” was coined. A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress.