The father did not reply but that night he took the boy along with him to break into a house. Once inside, he opened a closet and asked his son to find out what was inside. No sooner had the lad stepped in tan the father slammed the door shut and bolted it, making such a noise in the process that the whole house was awakened. Then he himself slipped away quietly.

Inside the closet the boy was terrified, angry, and puzzled as to how he was going to make his escape. Then an idea came to him. He began to make a noise like a cat; whereupon a servant lit a candle and opened the closet to let the cat out. The boy jumped out assoon as the closet door opened and everyone gave chase. Observing a well beside the road, he threw a large stone into it and hid in the shadows; then he stole away while his pursuers peered into the depths, hoping to see the burglar drown.

Back home again the boy forgot his anger in his eagerness to tell his story. But his father said, Why tell me the tale? You are here. That is enough. You have learned the trade.

This is from The Heart of the Enlightened, a book of spiritual stories by Anthony de Mello.

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The Master looked straight through the man and said, “If I were you, from now on I would play on the ground floor.”

This startled the disciples. “Why didn't you tell him to stop gambling?” they demanded.

“Because I knew he wouldn't,” was the Master's simple and sagacious explanation.

This spiritual story is from the book One Minute Wisdom by Anthony de Mello.

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But when he saw them plunge headlong into activity, he laughed and said, That isn't action. That's motion.

This spiritual story is from the book One Minute Wisdom by Anthony de Mello.

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The following day the man prevailed upon his wife to let him go to the course alone. There was a horse with a fifty-to-one odds on it in the first race. He bet on the horse and it won. He put all the money he won on another long shot in the next race and again he won. He kept doing this all evening and his entire earnings came to fifty-seven thousand dollars.

On the way back home he passed by a gambling den. An inner voice, the same that seemed to have guided him in his choice of horses, said, “Stop here and go in.” So he stopped, went in, and found himself standing in front of a roulette wheel. The voice said, “Number thirteen.” The man put the entire fifty-seven thousand on number thirteen. The wheel spun, and the croupier announced, “Number fourteen.”

So the man walked back home with nothing in his pocket. His wife called out to him from the porch, “How did it go?”

The husband shrugged his shoulders. “I lost the two dollars,” he said.

This is from The Heart of the Enlightened, a book of spiritual stories by Anthony de Mello.

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When one of his friends asked why, Socrates said: “I love to go there and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without.”

This is from The Heart of the Enlightened, a book of spiritual stories by Anthony de Mello.

What Is the Spiritual Moral / Message of the “Socrates and the Marketplace” Story?

At the heart of this humorous tale lies a profound lesson about the essence of simplicity and the liberation it brings to our lives. Socrates, the revered philosopher, personifies the wisdom of embracing a frugal existence. His choice to eschew material comforts isn't born from lack but from a deeper understanding that true contentment transcends possessions. It beckons us to reevaluate our relationship with materialism, recognizing that our happiness often thrives in the absence of excessive possessions.

Socrates' peculiar fascination with the marketplace unveils the art of discernment and the practice of mindful observation. His deliberate visits to this bustling center of commerce weren't driven by desire but by a quest for self-discovery. Through the lens of his contemplative gaze, the marketplace transformed into a canvas upon which he explored the richness of a simpler life. It echoes the importance of mindful observation, inviting us to consciously evaluate our wants and needs, and find joy in the realization of what truly matters.

The profound wisdom encapsulated in Socrates' statement, “I love to go there and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without,” resonates as a powerful invitation to introspection. It beckons us to examine our attachments and reassess the weight of our desires. Embedded within this simple declaration lies the essence of liberation — the freedom that emerges when we release ourselves from the chains of excessive wants. It encourages us to embrace contentment and find fulfillment in the treasures of simplicity.

Socrates' choice to lead a modest life despite his intellectual stature embodies the concept of living authentically. His actions align with his philosophical beliefs, manifesting an integrity between his thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a testament to the harmony found in living in congruence with one's inner truths. This aspect of authenticity extends an invitation to each of us to align our outer lives with our inner values, embracing a life that resonates with the authenticity of our being.

The profundity of this narrative resonates deeply with the notion of inner wealth superseding material abundance. Socrates, in his rejection of material excess, epitomizes the richness found within the soul. His joy isn't derived from amassing possessions but from the discovery of the treasures inherent in simplicity. It serves as a gentle reminder that our true wealth lies not in the abundance of possessions but in the richness of our inner world, in the depth of our relationships, and in the authenticity of our existence.

In essence, this story unfolds as a gentle invitation to cultivate a deeper awareness of our relationship with possessions. It urges us to navigate the complexities of modern life with discernment, guiding us toward a profound realization: that true happiness flourishes in the space between simplicity and contentment. Through the wisdom of Socrates' teachings, we are encouraged to embrace a life where the pursuit of material possessions takes a backseat to the pursuit of inner peace and fulfillment.

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The he solemnly said, “All those who want to go to heaven, step over here to the left.” Everyone stepped over except one man, who stubbornly stood his ground.

The priest looked at him fiercely and said, “Don't you want to go to heaven?”
“No,” said the man.

“Do you mean to stand there and tell me you don't want to go to heaven when you die?”

“Of course I want to go to heaven when I die. I thought you were going now!”

This is from The Heart of the Enlightened, a book of spiritual stories by Anthony de Mello.

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So he told the whole story — that five men went to see an elephant and then they reported back. One said ‘The elephant is like a pillar' — because he had touched only the legs. Another said ‘He is like a very big fan' — because he had touched the ear — and so on and so forth. The story was simple, and everybody knows about it.

Then the teacher said, ‘What type of men were these?'

One small boy said, ‘Experts!'

Habits are efficient, so you do them again and again, and the more you do, the more capable you become. Almost everybody has become a certain type of expert – one part of your mind expertises, and then through expertise, it dominates the whole mind.

From Osho – Dharshan Dairy: Be Realistic, Plan for a Miracle

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The devil of course wanted God to repair it. They started arguing and in the heat of the argument God said “If you don't listen to me, I will drag you to court!”

The devil laughed. He said “Where are you going to find a lawyer for yourself? They are all here!”

For God there is no… for love there is no argument.

For meditation there is no way to convince people. And once you start trying to convince you are already moving in a wrong direction.

As told by Osho in Dharshan Dairy: The 99 Names of Nothingness

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Perhaps the proverb is true, that every great man has a wife behind him. Because she goes on nagging and harassing him and finding no other way he goes on succeeding, becoming richer, climbing ladders. The wife goes on hitting: “Go on!”… she never allows any rest for the poor fellow.

What can they dream about? They have never been hungry, they have never eaten anything; they cannot dream about ice cream. And certainly they cannot have nightmares which can awaken them.

Aesop has a beautiful parable. A cat is sitting on a tree, giggling and smiling. And a dog looks up and asks, “What is the matter, you idiot?”

And the cat says, “I was just having a beautiful afternoon nap and I dreamed that it is raining, very fast, strong rain, and the most amazing part is, it is not water that is raining, it is mice.”

The dog was very angry. He said, “You idiot. You will never grow out of your retardedness. In my holy scriptures there are instances when it has rained, but it has rained always cats, never rats!”

Obviously, a cat cannot think the way a dog can think, and they cannot agree. But if somebody is seeing rats and mice raining you can know that the person who is seeing the dream is a cat. There is not much logic involved in it.

Osho – The Great Pilgrimage: From Here to Here

What Is the Spiritual Moral / Message Of This Cat Story by Osho?

At its core, Ocho's cat story speaks volumes about the richness of imagination and the boundless nature of dreams. The cat, perched atop a tree, finds joy in a dream where the conventional laws of nature cease to exist. In this dream, rain transcends its customary form, cascading not as droplets of water but as a deluge of mice.

The dog, tethered to the confines of conventional wisdom, responds with disbelief and scorn. His reproach stems from the rigidity of his beliefs, steeped in the teachings passed down through the ages. His holy scriptures, emblematic of societal norms and collective understanding, dictate a reality where rain, if ever, descends as cats, not mice.

The spiritual essence of Osho's cat story lies not in the literal events but in the metaphorical dance between perception and the expansiveness of consciousness. It urges us to question the limitations we impose upon our realities and the constraints of our beliefs.

The cat embodies the unrestrained spirit of imagination, unbound by societal norms or the confines of what is deemed possible. Its laughter and delight in the dream of mice raining from the sky symbolize the freedom of thought, inviting us to embrace the expansive realm of creative possibilities that reside within.

Conversely, the dog represents the entrenched beliefs and doctrines that often confine our understanding of the world. His incredulity at the cat's dream echoes the resistance we harbor toward unconventional ideas, tethered as we are to the comfort of familiar paradigms.

In the vast tapestry (oops, there it is again!) of human existence, this story serves as a gentle reminder of the infinite potential that resides within the human spirit. It beckons us to transcend the boundaries of our perceived limitations and embrace the limitless expanse of our consciousness.

At its spiritual core, Ocho's cat parable invites us to cultivate a sense of openness and curiosity, encouraging us to explore the uncharted territories of our minds. It urges us to release the shackles of rigid thinking and embrace the liberating power of expansive imagination.

In the grand mosaic of existence, where dreams intertwine with reality, this tale whispers a timeless truth: our perceptions shape our realities. When we allow our minds to venture beyond the confines of the expected, we unlock the door to infinite possibilities, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the impossible becomes a mere fragment of unexplored potential.

So, let us, inspired by the whimsical dream of the cat, dare to embrace the extraordinary. Let us challenge the confines of our beliefs, allowing the rain of unconventional ideas to nourish the fertile grounds of our imagination. For in this dance between dreams and reality lies the key to unlocking the boundless horizons of our spiritual evolution.

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First he turns to the human. “I am giving you ten years of a good sex life,” says God.

The man’s face falls. “Is that all?” he asks.

“I only have so much to go around, fella,” says God. He then turns to the monkey and says, “I’m giving you twenty years of a good sex life.”

The monkey says, “Oh, I don’t really need that much. Ten years would be more than enough for me.”

The man, standing nearby, overhears this and says excitedly, “I will take it! I will take those extra ten years.”

“All right,” says God. “You got it.” He then turns to the lion. “I’m going to give you twenty years of good sex life.”

The lion replies, “You know, God, I really think I would be happier with just ten.”

The man starts hopping up and down. “I will take them! I will take the other ten years!”

“You can have them,” says God to the man.

He turns to the donkey and says, “Now, I am going to give you twenty years of a good sex life. Is that all right with you?”

“To tell you the truth,” says the donkey, “I would also be satisfied with just ten.” God gives the man the other ten years too.

This story explains why a man has ten years of a good sex life, ten years of monkeying around, ten years of lyin’ about it, and then ten years of making an ass out of himself.

We are not satisfied with anything, and we go on asking for more, and we go on making our life more of a confusion.

Osho – “The Hidden Splendor”

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