The Tale of Two Pebbles

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3) If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should know that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend that the girl do?

Well, here is what she did. . .

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me!” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY?

There is always an answer, but many times it is not obvious.

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

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The Source

With men of understanding,
wisdom counts for everything.
Baltasar Gracian

Where does wisdom come from? Is universal wisdom useful across the board or does it matter who the person is who is imparting that wisdom? I guess there is some controversy where this is concerned. A well-known martial artist, brought this very issue up concerning my third book, Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior’s Path, this week. He felt that some of the people who I  quoted were not quality people and therefore should not have been quoted in my book.

Knowledge of the world is only to be
acquired in the world and not in a closet.
Lord Chesterfield

Any experience can be transformed
into something of value.
Vash Young

This begs the question, is wisdom wisdom no matter where it comes from or does the person, who has an insightful thought, also have to have to good reputation and a flawless character in order for that wisdom to be authenticated as true wisdom? Can a wino on a street corner have an insightful thought, and if he does should we discard it because of his shortcomings in life? This was the debate that my friend and I had concerning my third book…and we agreed to disagree and he refused to endorse my book because of this outlook.

A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
Aristophanes

His last statement on the matter was that he didn’t think that “readers would be ready for Bohdi Sanders takes the words of sages and scoundrels and explains them in a way that might be useful.” We left it at that. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t purposely quote scumbags and give them credit for being wise men of strong character. No way! But at the same time, there are no perfect people. Being a history teacher, I could delve into the lives of our most beloved men, men who we consider top drawer, and find serious faults in their lives.

Arrogance diminishes wisdom.
Arabian Proverb

For example, the Apostle Paul had many Christians put to death before his conversion to Christianity. King David, who is accepted as the author of the Book of Psalms, arranged for the death of a man because he was infatuated with that man’s wife. I could cite example after example of dishonorable acts of men whom most of us have respect for, and whose writings we enjoy as words of wisdom. Do their actions take away from their words of wisdom or are their writings teaching us what they have learned from their mistakes?

It is quite possible to be a good man
without anyone realizing it.
Marcus Aurelius

I believe that the warrior should use wisdom wherever he finds it. Wisdom can come from various and unpredictable sources. Whether it is a five year old child or a wino on a street corner, anyone can have a profound and insightful thought. If we simply waited for that wisdom to come from someone with no faults, we would have a long wait. Instead of judging the person who imparts that insightful thought, wouldn’t it be better to judge the content of the thought itself? I think so…

Instead of searching for the faults of others, examine
yourself for personal faults that need to be corrected.
Sai Baba

True wisdom is universal. Should we discard an enlightened thought simply because we are not impressed with the person who is used to communicate that thought to us? To the warrior, the purpose of wisdom is to improve his life and his character. Even if that wisdom comes from  a five years old child, he is not too proud to take what is said and meditate on it and apply it to his life. The warrior is an independent spirit who thinks for himself and is not influenced by political correctness or the mind games that many people play.

What I must do is all that concerns me,
not what the people think.
Emerson

Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
Emerson

Our currency all comes from government sanctioned mints and has value no matter whose pocket it happens to be in at any given moment. In the same way, universal wisdom all comes from One Source and is useful in guiding the warrior on the warrior’s path. It does not matter who the carrier of that wisdom may be, universal wisdom does not lose its value. The warrior knows this and uses his spirit as a guide to the truthfulness and validity of the thoughts of others. He uses what he finds useful and discards what strikes him as “not quite right.” I am concerned with what is being said, not who said it.

Test everything.
Hold on to the good.
The Apostle Paul

A precious stone does not lose its value
simply because it has been dropped in a cesspool.
Japanese Proverb

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

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