The Parable of the Spoons

[Chattan]

Here is a parable that I hope all will like. It is called the Parable of the Spoons. Here it is:

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sigh of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell." They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand." "It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other while the greedy think only of themselves".

(Borrowing from David but with a twist) Yours in Reason,

Joe

 

[Davidium]

I love the parable of the Spoons!

 

[michel]

I love that (I have never heard it); thank you so much for posting it.

 

[Circle_One]

Wow! I got shivers reading it!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

For some reason, although I love this parable, I nearly always forget it after hearing it.

Thank you for reminding me of it!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I've never heard that one before, but it is a good one.

 

[Ibrahim Al-Amin]

Excellent! Thank you for posting.

 

[Engyo]

Interesting. This is almost exactly the same as the Buddhist tale of the Hell of Hungry Spirits. Greedy or hunger-natured people end up there, where people have lots of food, but only three-foot chopsticks to eat with. They can only eat by learning to share and feeding each other.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

Wow not heard that one since play school! Thanks. Frubals x

 

[lilithu]

Thanks Joe. That parable, or one very similar to it (they weren't around a pot but at a banquet table), was told to me by my first religious studies professor as a Muslim story. (Possibly Sufi since that was his bent.)