​Perspective
A poor man lived with his wife and six children in a very small one-room house. They were always getting in each other's way and there was so little space they could hardly breathe!Finally the man could stand it no more. He talked to his wife and asked her what to do. "Go see the rabbi," she told him, and after arguing a while, he went.
The rabbi greeted him and said, "I see something is troubling you. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
And so the poor man told the rabbi how miserable things were at home with him, his wife, and the six children all eating and living and sleeping in one room. The poor man told the rabbi, "We're even starting to yell and fight with each other. Life couldn't be worse."
The rabbi thought very deeply about the poor man's problem. Then he said, "Do exactly as I tell you and things will get better. Do you promise?"
"I promise," the poor man said.
The rabbi then asked the poor man a strange question. "Do you own any animals?"
"Yes," he said. "I have one cow, one goat, and some chickens."
"Good," the rabbi said. "When you get home, take all the animals into your house to live with you."
The poor man was astonished to hear this advice from the rabbi, but he had promised to do exactly what the rabbi said. So he went home and took all the farm animals into the tiny one-room house.
The next day the poor man ran back to see the rabbi. "What have you done to me, Rabbi?" he cried. "It's awful. I did what you told me and the animals are all over the house! Rabbi, help me!" The rabbi listened and said calmly, "Now go home and take the chickens back outside."
The poor man did as the rabbi said, but hurried back again the next day. "The chickens are gone, but Rabbi, the goat!" he moaned. "The goat is smashing up all the furniture and eating everything in sight!" The good rabbi said, "Go home and remove the goat and may God bless you."
So the poor man went home and took the goat outside. But he ran back again to see the rabbi, crying and wailing. "What a nightmare you have brought to my house, Rabbi! With the cow it's like living in a stable! Can human beings live with an animal like this?"
The rabbi said sweetly, "My friend, you are right. May God bless you. Go home now and take the cow out of your house." And the poor man went quickly home and took the cow out of the house.
The next day he came running back to the rabbi again. "O Rabbi," he said with a big smile on his face, "We have such a good life now. The animals are all out of the house. The house is so quiet and we've got room to spare! What a joy!"
Ari's Awakin Mar 6th Awakin Marin Reading (sent via email)
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to our perspective shaping our experiences? Can you share a personal story of a time when awareness of your perspective shaping your experience allowed you to shift your perspective and thereby, your experience? What helps you recognize your freedom to shape your perspective?
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7 Past Reflections
On May 15, 2020 Andy wrote :
Brings a smile for the day ahead.
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On Oct 2, 2018 Harman wrote :
I read this story of some one somewhere..
There was a guy who was a player, a sportsman. One day when he was playing a crucial match of his life, he was injured and he lost the match.. He was very disappointed with that and asked god why me... but he got no answer. He went to hospital and his leg was perhaps fractured.. Then in the next few days he started retrospecting his life about where things went wrong and he realized all through his life he had won so many matches where he did not even deserve to win and he never asked god why me.. but soon as he lost this match he started complaining god.. He felt sorry about complaining and accepted the fate.
I hope you get the idea..
Forgive me If I am mistaken with exact story.. as I dont remember who that player was..
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On Oct 2, 2018 Jyotima wrote :
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On Oct 2, 2018 Paul Hunter wrote :
A couple of years ago my mother passed away and a separation also led to me being apart from my son for what seemed like unbearable periods of time. I have practiced Vipassana and Anapana for quite a while but even so I could not work with the pain I experienced and had no equanimity.
As a surfer I began to remember the pain associated with being held down by a large wave, the feeling of needing to breath but not being able to. I felt relief in my body that I could breath freely, without restiriction. From there I began to see that, though I was living in my van, I had shelter from the harsh weather. I began to recall that I had food that day and was not starving.
This practice of gratitude eventually brought me back to my breath, which brought me back to observing bodily sensations. It may be this practice of gratitude that saved my life.
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On Sep 30, 2018 david doane wrote :
I see the effects of our experience and perspective being circular, shaping one another, the circular process starting with experience which to me is basic and primary. Oscar Wilde said, "Nothing worth knowing can be taught." That is, it's learned by experience which shapes our perspective which shapes our experience. That's what happened in Aaron Zehah's story. Once the man experienced the increased crowding in his little home, his perspective changed. And with a different perspective his experience in his home changed. In all matters, my experiences have ongoingly shaped my perspective whch has shaped my experience.
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On Sep 29, 2018 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
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