The arrogance of power

The master and his disciple were talking at a street corner when
an old woman came up to them:
"Get away from my window!" shouted the old lady. "You are
disturbing the customers". The master apologized and crossed over to
the other sidewalk.
They went on talking until an officer came up to them and
said: "We need you to move away from this sidewalk. The count will be
passing by here in a few moments".
"Let him use the other side of the street", answered the master,
without moving. Then he turned to his disciple and told him: "Don't
forget: never be arrogant to the humble. And never be humble to the
arrogant."

The arrogance of sanctity

The Zen monk spent ten years meditating in his cave, trying to
find out the path to the Truth. While he was praying one afternoon, a
monkey came up to him. The monk tried to concentrate, but the monkey
drew closer and seized the monk's sandal.
"Damned monkey!" said the hermit. "Why have you come to disturb
my prayers?"
"I'm hungry," said the monkey.
"Go away! You are disturbing my communicating with God!"
"How can you talk to God if you cannot manage to communicate
with humble creatures like me?" said the monkey.
And the monk apologized, feeling ashamed.

The arrogance of force

The village was threatened by a tribe of barbarians. The
inhabitants were abandoning their houses and fleeing to a safer
place. At the end of a year they had all left – except a group of
Jesuits.
The army of barbarians entered the city without any resistance
and held a great feast to commemorate the victory. In the middle of
the dinner a priest appeared.
"You came in here and drove out peace. I beg you to leave at
once."
"Why haven't you fled yet?" shouted the chief of the
barbarians. "Don't you see that I can run you through with my sword
without blinking an eye?"
The priest answered calmly:
"Don't you see that I can be run through by a sword without
blinking an eye?"
Surprised by such serenity before death, the chief of the
barbarians and his tribe abandoned the place the next day.

The arrogance of envy

In the Syrian desert, Satan told his disciples: "Human beings
are always more concerned about wishing evil on others than doing
good to themselves".
And to demonstrate what he was saying, he decided to test two
men who were resting nearby.
"I have come to make your wishes come true", he said to one of
them. "Whatever you want will be given to you. Your friend will
receive the same thing – except double".
The man remained in silence for a long while, and then he
finally said: "My friend is content because he will have double, no
matter what my wish is. But I have prepared a trap for him: my wish
is that you make me blind in one eye".



Warrior of the Light, a www.paulocoelho.com.br publication