Here are some interesting stories:
The Readers’ Digest version of P.D. Ouspensky’s Strange Life of Ivan Osokin:
Ivan Osokin sat at his friend, the magician’s, kitchen table, his head in his hands. He was depressed, and loudly lamented his many mistakes, including a failed business where his partner robbed him, and a failed romance, where he was betrayed by the woman he loved. He had many other laments, but what he said loudest was “If I’d only known then what I know now! Life would be different for me!”
His friend, the magician, said “You know, we can make that happen.” So he pronounced a magic spell and sent Osokin back to his youth, before he met the woman and the treacherous business partner. This time, though, he knew all of what he knew when he was at the magician’s kitchen table.
And as he re-lived his life, he met the people he knew would betray and rob him...but now that he knew about it, he felt safe re-associating with them. Eventually, the same scenario played out: The woman left him, and the partner robbed him.
Eventually, he ended up at the magician’s kitchen table, his head in his hand, lamenting loudly how different life would be if he’d only known then what he knew now….
All of a sudden, Osokin realized what he was doing was repetition. “Oh my God! I don’t know anything!” he exclaimed. The magician said: “Now we can begin.”
…
From the opus of Mullah Nasrudin:
Nasrudin found work as a ferryman, rowing a boat across a river. One day a famous grammarian hired him to cross the river, and started telling him stories about grammar as he was rowed across. “Have you ever studied grammar?” the grammarian asked Nasrudin. “No,” said Nasrudin. “Then you have wasted half your life!” said the grammarian. After rowing a little further, Nasrudin noticed the boat was filling with water. He asked the grammarian if he had ever learned to swim. “No,” said the grammarian. “Then you have wasted all of your life, because the boat is sinking!” said Nasrudin.
…
Nasrudin crossed a hot, dusty wilderness to walk to a neighboring town. He was suspicious of the water in that town, though, so he cleverly bought some fruit to slake his thirst. His friend found him eating hot chillies from a basket, tears flowing down his cheeks. His friend said “Nasrudin! Stop eating the chillies and the pain will stop!” Nasrudin replied “I paid for the entire basket! I’m eating them all!”
….
Nasrudin was outside under a street light scouring the ground for something when a friend saw him and asked what he was looking for. “I lost my key,” said Nasrudin. “Oh, let me help you look,” replied the friend, and they both were sifting through the ground beneath the light.
After a while, the friend asked “Where exactly were you standing when you lost the key?” “Oh, back in that dark alley,” replied Nasrudin. “Then why are you looking for it out here?” asked his friend. “The light is better,” replied Nasrudin.
…
While on a trip to another village, Nasrudin lost his favorite copy of the mystical book.
Several weeks later, a goat walked up to Nasrudin, carrying the book in its mouth.
Nasrudin couldn't believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the goat's mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, "It's a miracle!"
"Not really," said the goat. "Your name is written inside the cover."
…
"Nasrudin, is your religion orthodox?" "It all depends," said Nasrudin, "on which bunch of heretics is in power."
…
One day Nasrudin and his friends decided to play a joke on the people in a village. So Nasrudin drew a crowd, and lied to them about a gold mine in a certain place. When everybody ran to get their hands on the gold, Nasrudin started running with them. When asked by his friends why he was following them, he said "So many people believed it, that I think it may be true!"
The Readers’ Digest version of P.D. Ouspensky’s Strange Life of Ivan Osokin:
Ivan Osokin sat at his friend, the magician’s, kitchen table, his head in his hands. He was depressed, and loudly lamented his many mistakes, including a failed business where his partner robbed him, and a failed romance, where he was betrayed by the woman he loved. He had many other laments, but what he said loudest was “If I’d only known then what I know now! Life would be different for me!”
His friend, the magician, said “You know, we can make that happen.” So he pronounced a magic spell and sent Osokin back to his youth, before he met the woman and the treacherous business partner. This time, though, he knew all of what he knew when he was at the magician’s kitchen table.
And as he re-lived his life, he met the people he knew would betray and rob him...but now that he knew about it, he felt safe re-associating with them. Eventually, the same scenario played out: The woman left him, and the partner robbed him.
Eventually, he ended up at the magician’s kitchen table, his head in his hand, lamenting loudly how different life would be if he’d only known then what he knew now….
All of a sudden, Osokin realized what he was doing was repetition. “Oh my God! I don’t know anything!” he exclaimed. The magician said: “Now we can begin.”
…
From the opus of Mullah Nasrudin:
Nasrudin found work as a ferryman, rowing a boat across a river. One day a famous grammarian hired him to cross the river, and started telling him stories about grammar as he was rowed across. “Have you ever studied grammar?” the grammarian asked Nasrudin. “No,” said Nasrudin. “Then you have wasted half your life!” said the grammarian. After rowing a little further, Nasrudin noticed the boat was filling with water. He asked the grammarian if he had ever learned to swim. “No,” said the grammarian. “Then you have wasted all of your life, because the boat is sinking!” said Nasrudin.
…
Nasrudin crossed a hot, dusty wilderness to walk to a neighboring town. He was suspicious of the water in that town, though, so he cleverly bought some fruit to slake his thirst. His friend found him eating hot chillies from a basket, tears flowing down his cheeks. His friend said “Nasrudin! Stop eating the chillies and the pain will stop!” Nasrudin replied “I paid for the entire basket! I’m eating them all!”
….
Nasrudin was outside under a street light scouring the ground for something when a friend saw him and asked what he was looking for. “I lost my key,” said Nasrudin. “Oh, let me help you look,” replied the friend, and they both were sifting through the ground beneath the light.
After a while, the friend asked “Where exactly were you standing when you lost the key?” “Oh, back in that dark alley,” replied Nasrudin. “Then why are you looking for it out here?” asked his friend. “The light is better,” replied Nasrudin.
…
While on a trip to another village, Nasrudin lost his favorite copy of the mystical book.
Several weeks later, a goat walked up to Nasrudin, carrying the book in its mouth.
Nasrudin couldn't believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the goat's mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, "It's a miracle!"
"Not really," said the goat. "Your name is written inside the cover."
…
"Nasrudin, is your religion orthodox?" "It all depends," said Nasrudin, "on which bunch of heretics is in power."
…
One day Nasrudin and his friends decided to play a joke on the people in a village. So Nasrudin drew a crowd, and lied to them about a gold mine in a certain place. When everybody ran to get their hands on the gold, Nasrudin started running with them. When asked by his friends why he was following them, he said "So many people believed it, that I think it may be true!"
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