Once upon a time there was a beggar who came with her begging bowl to a great king and asked for alms, for food, for anything that he would give. The king gestured to one of his advisers, and the beggar’s bowl was filled with grain. But to the adviser’s dismay, no matter how much he put in the bowl, it was still empty, as though it was bottomless. The king repeated his order, and the man sought to fill the bowl again and again and again. Finally, in desperation, the man cried to the king that the bowl seemed to eat everything that it was given.
The king looked at the beggar with different eyes, seeking to understand. The woman stood there with her empty bowl and patiently held it out for the offering. They both stood looking at each other, and the king finally asked: “Who are you and why have you visited my kingdom?” The beggar looked at the king and held out her begging bowl. She answered: “This bowl is the bowl of human wants and needs. It is impossible to fill, but it is the work of all those who believe in Allah, the most Compassionate One, to try. Is this the work of your kingdom?” And the beggar left the bowl on the floor in the middle of the great hall of the king. And she left.
[from Leave Her Alone by Megan McKenna. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 2000; p.95]
No comments:
Post a Comment