HE WHO KNOWS DOES NOT SPEAK

 
The secrets of the path are always hidden from the layman for the simple reason that we cannot understand the magnitude of the divine. Hence not understanding we fail to appreciate them and so lose the true significance of the path.

A woodcutter every day would go to the forest to collect firewood, sell the same and thus sail his life boat. Each morning his wife would give him some food for his afternoon lunch.

It so happened there was a monkey in the forest and the woodcutter became very friendly with the monkey. They would both share the food the woodcutter had brought and the monkey would give in return fruits he had collected.

One day the woodcutter whilst chopping wood came across a diamond bracelet. Realising its worth he took the same to the jewellers and sold it for a large sum of money. From that he built himself a beautiful mansion and he and his wife now lived a very comfortable life. Having no need he stopped going to the forest to chop wood.

About a month later the monkey came to his friend and said, "My friend why have you stopped coming to the forest? I miss your loving company. Now I am all alone in the forest and exposed to rain or shine and no one to take care of me."

The woodcutter was so touched by his friend's tale that he gave all his property to his friend. Becoming once again a poor woodcutter, he went back to his old job of woodcutting and to his utter surprise he noticed that his friend, the monkey, had stopped visiting him. So he went to his friend's house, which was originally his, and asked his friend why he had stopped visiting him in the forest.

The monkey raising his snout with great pride and arrogance said, "I never associate with fools."