A very rich young man went to see a Rabbi in order to ask his advice about what he should do with his life. The Rabbi led him over to the window and asked him:
‘What can you see through the glass?’
‘I can see men coming and going and a blind man begging for alms in the street.’
Then the Rabbi showed him a large mirror and said to him:
‘Look in this mirror and tell me what you see.’
‘I can see myself.’
‘And you can’t see the others. Notice that the window and the mirror are both made of the same basic material, glass.
‘You should compare yourself to these two kinds of glass. Poor, you saw other people and felt compassion for them.
‘Rich – covered in silver – you see yourself.
‘You will only be worth anything when you have the courage to tear away the coating of silver covering your eyes in order to be able to see again and love your fellow man.’
{ 199 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
It reminds me of another Jewish story of a poor man who dreamed of a treasure underneath a bridge in Prague so he walked for days from his village to the capital amd when he finally got to the bridge there was a guard who would not leave his post. After hours and hours of waiting finally the guard asked him why he was standing there for so long. The poor man told the guard about his dream for which the guard responded – funny i had a dream that there was a treasure inside the oven of a house in a remote village. The poor man smiled and walked back home, opened his oven and sure enough found the treasure.
its almost the same story as THE ALCHEMIST
lovely post ,
but the process to remove the silver coat is very difficult for me..
or may i’m in between this two stage a mirror with some scratches to see through
La Ventana y El Espejo
Un joven muy rico fue a ver a un rabino para pedirle consejo sobre que debia hacer con su vida. El rabino lo condujo a la ventana y le preguntó:
“¿Qué puedes ver a través del cristal de la ventana?”
Puedo ver a los hombres que van y vienen y a un ciego pidiendo limosna en la calle.
Entonces el rabino le mostró un gran espejo y le dijo:
“Mira en este espejo y dime lo que ves.”
Me veo yo.
”No puedes ver a los demas verdad, aun dandote cuenta que basicamente el cristal de la ventana y el espejo son del mismo material”
“Debes compararte a ti mismo con estos dos tipos de vidrio. Pobres, miras a otras personas y sientes lastima por ellos. Ricos, -cubiertos de plata- te ves a ti mismo”
“Solo seras capaz de darle valor a tu vida, cuando puedas arrancar el revestimiento de plata que cubre tus ojos, con el fin de poder volver a ver y amar a tu projimo.”
Felizes daqueles que tem olhos, mas sobretudo, este “olhar”…
Bom Regresso Paulo!
Sos bueno pero por supuesto, eso ya lo sabías.
extremely copmlex…could not understand
Good lesson, interesting story, have not read it before.
I know…Im sure because in somehow, someday we find our self searching for nothing at all. But my gift, is natural and believed or not, it was not given for no reason. And I’m glad I meet you and read your books it gives me more clear vision and understanding what happened to me. I believed my mirror or your mirror the same images what we are looking for…I hope we share our crossroad and insanity in life…it takes a long road to find my path, and the same for others too….Greetings
Querido Paulo, realmente necesito tu ayuda, si, con el favor de Dios, lees esto y de alguna manera puedes responderme te agradeceria enormemente desde mi corazón.
DEVEMOS ENTENDER QUE CADA SER EN ESTE UNIVERSO ESTA CONSTRUIDO DE LA MISMA MATERIA QUE HAY EN LAS ESTRELLAS, ASI QUE DEPENDE DE CADA UNO CONVERTIRSE EN CARBON O CONVERTIRSE EN DIAMANTES Y MIRAR ATRAVES DE ESTOS MATERIALES EL MUNDO
such wisdom…too rich for some…
it is very true, being transparent with your self and others could lead to self successful life .
In Love Wins, Rob Bell discusses Jesus being asked by a rich man how to get into heaven. He tells him to dispose of his wealth.
Strictly speaking the rich man asked Jesus what good he had to do to obtain eternal life.
It is not possesions per se that are wrong, it is what we do with them. Are they nouns to impress or verbs to do good? Wealth is not for vulgar display to show we are better than others, we must use it to benefit others.
I can use my spade to till the earth, to grow food to feed myself and others. I can use my camera and laptop to expose injustice.
Jesus also spoke of a rich man who ignored Lazarus outside his gate. They both died. Lazarus went to heaven, the rich man to hades. The rich man still did not get it. He asked that Lazarus bring him water to quench his thirst.
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-window-and-the-mirror/
Lovely.
I read his book ” Alchemist” in my toughes time and it really helped me to change my thinking.
” When you really want some-thing, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve this”. I firmly believe in this statement.
you are so right! it was and is my experience too! long long time and so many years i thought, i’m forced to have doughts and i could not trust myself! now i know: you only have to be like a child – seeing with your heart and than everything is possible!
But is even if we open our eyes . but people around wont open . how can they understand our feelings …
Polish translation, I tried…
——-
(PO POLSKU)
OKNO I LUSTRO
Bardzo bogaty młody człowiek przyszedł do Rabina aby zapytać się go co ma zrobić ze swoim życiem. Rabin poprowadził go do lustra i zapytal go:
“Co widzisz przez szybę?”
“Widzę ludzi przychodzących i odchodzących i ślepego człowieka żebrającego na ulicy”.
Potem Rabin pokazał mu duże lustro i powiedział do niego:
“Spójrz w lustro i powiedz co widzisz”.
“Widzę siebie”.
“I nie widzisz innych. Zauważ że okno i lustro zrobione są z tego samego podstawowego materiału, ze szkła”.
“Powinieneś porównywać siebie do tych dwóch typów szkła. Biedny, widziałes ludzi i czułeś współczucie dla nich.
Bogaty-ozdobiony srebrem-widziałeś siebie.
“Będziesz tylko coś wart gdy znajdziesz odwagę by zedrzeć srebro które pokrywa twoje oczy aby znowu widzieć i kochać innych ludzi.”
German Translation. No responsibility for errors. I hope it makes some joy. For those who can not speak English so well.
Ein sehr reicher junger Mann ging zu einem Rabbi um ihn um Rat zu fragen, was er mit seinem Leben anfangen sollte Der Rabbi führte ihn zum Fenster und fragte ihn:
“Was kann man durch das Glas sehen?”
“Ich kann sehen, wie Menschen kommen und gehen und ein Blinder bettelt um Almosen auf der Straße.”
Dann zeigte ihm der Rabbi einen großen Spiegel und sagte zu ihm:
“Schau in diesen Spiegel und sag mir was du siehst.”
“Ich sehe mich.”
“Und du kannst die andern nicht sehen. Beachte, dass das Fenster und Spiegel beide aus demselben Grundmaterial sind, aus Glas.
“Du solltest dich mit diesen beiden Arten von Glas vergleichen. Arm, du hast andere Menschen gesehen und fühltest Mitleid mit ihnen.
Reich – mit Silber bedeckt – Du siehst dich..
“Du bist nur etwas wert, wenn Sie den Mut hast die silberne Beschichtung abzureißen die deine Augen bedecken, damit du in der Lage bist, wieder zu sehen und deine Mitmenschen zu lieben.
Ich freue mich, dass du eine Übersetzung gewagt hast, lieber Heimo.
Ich hatte zwar auch schon mal die Idee, aber nicht den Mut. Die alte Angst ausgelacht zu werden …
Ich denke schon, dass so etwas denen hilft, die nicht so gut Englisch können, hier im blog Fuss zu fassen.
liebe Grüsse,
Claudia
!QUE HERMOSAS PALABRAS PARA LA REFLEXION
ME GUSTARIA VER MAS LOS CORAZONES DE LAS PERSONAS, PERO VAMOS TAN DE PRISA EN ESTA VIDA, QUE SOLO,OBSERVAMOS Y ESCUCHAMOS A TRAVES DE LO QUE NOS CUENTAN.
LO ESENCIAL NO ES VISIBLE A LA VISTA, no es malo citar a Saint Exupery, BANDY, mas bien enhora buena.
GRACIAS A TODOS POR COMPARTIR.
GRACIAS ESTIMADO PAULO POR COMPARTIR.
El egoista seria capaz de prender la casa del vecino para hacerse unos huevos estrellados, y los otros ignorar lo que pasa pero eso no es maldad segurente el vecino se lo merecia.
The story is good but i took more than 20 sec :P
Open your eyes…watch the world with a birds eye view….love others ,care others,and add meaning to life…
love u paulo.
“You’ve no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring you.
Nothing seemed right.
What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the ocean?
Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.
It’s no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.
So I brought you a mirror, look to yourself.”
Rumi
So beautiful, Tarek!!! Thank you for this beautiful in its simplicity Rumi’s poem.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Thank you sharing this, Tarek!! So beautiful!
It is beautiful. Thank you.
Mr.Tarek…This is so good as if something trembling deep within me…wonderful thought for me on the morning of Sunday 31/07/2011
With warm regards,
KGB
Thanks Tarek Rumi…
Great reminder whether it be a mirror or a window…
we are always just looking at ourselves…
And how terribly beautiful that is…
Thank you(all) for being
Your beauty brought the Lover
To the light in me…
Lover of all things
You who paints the mountain pink
Darkens the night sky..
too good
Your 20 second readings are always so inspiring. Thanks!
I think that we love to glorify the poor and poverty…Talking of compassion,I have come across many poor people who when given the opportunity to help or show kindness to their fellow brethren are as bad as their rich counterparts..Moreover compassion is a human quality that has got nothing to do with rich or poor and more over anything in extreme is not good whether be it excess wealth or poverty.
poverty is hard and not to be glorified, i agree.
but it is easier for me to understand a lack of compassion in one that is hungry, homeless and dealing with physical realities of lack than in one who has opportunities abounding.
i think there are different ways to define wealth as well. i have little in money and possessions, but know that i have wealth in many ways.
love & blessings, karen
But reality hits when the cover over your eyes reveal that the only difference between you and the poor man outside is a few dollars. If given the same money, he (poor man) could be better than you. Life just deals you a hand – you either fold or stay in it to win it!
Marvellous,as usual.
Mirrors relect you
The beauty of windows is
They let in… the light
EnlightenM:)
and they let out.. your light..
your own sun from inside..
thank you for making with your comments the posts more ‘sunny’ :o)
Love and Gratitude
Annie
This is also my opinion EnlightenM. The human heart has windows. Is it bright inside the light penetrates to the outside. If many hearts are light, they can dispel the darkness. And the heart can also see this light. A mirror can not. It just shows what you are. Or who you are.
Muy hermoso! Como todo lo que escribís Paulo…mi reflexión seria: existen muchas cosas en tu vida que sorprenderán a tus ojos (espejo) pero solo unas pocas sorprenderán y hará vibrar a tu alma, (ventana), el conocimiento viene de lo exterior y la sabiduría nace desde el interior. Solo tenemos que saber prestarle atención.
me gusto mucho tu reflexion viviana
The toughest task for a rich man is not earning his riches but to spend the same judiciously.If anything given free of cost has no value for the mankind and everything earned thro’ conviction and justifiable work is more valuable.The rich always feel lonely.Please consider even the scholars also as rich in knowledge.And if they dont’ spend the riches all those possessions will be of no value.A writer needs to spread wisdom ,a business man needs to help others come up in life,a trader needs to deliver the quality goods to the needy.For all these things we need to see the things truthfully.All eyes are same but what they see differ as there are different levels of coating of silver which blurr / blind us seeing the truth.Thank you very much Paulo for spending all those valuables which you have earned thro’ your conviction and hard work…Let us take it further….love all KGB
“The Rabbi led him over to the window and asked him:
‘What can you see through the glass?’”
I guess life is Through the looking glass … and what we -as other Alices – find there…
Love and Gratitude
Annie
A rich man begging for guidance who fails to see the blind man staring him in the mirror.
Great insight Daniel
What worth… this analogy
If one can not see
Bless you
LoveM
well said :-).
Can you imagine the value of the silver polished glass. It is one thing that has the power of showing us both sides of the coin , without the involvement of others. It is one object that instills confidence and maturity to our personality. This is a matter that brings in tremendous explorative thinking and wonderment into the innocence.
Когда я в зеркало смотрю-
С другими я встречаюсь,говорю..
Когда ж себя я повстречать хочу-
К стеклу оконному спешу..
I’m fond of your books since reading the Alchemist in 2004. This fondness grew to being a big fan and reading anything published by your. I love the spiritual writing and wisdom in your books.
LoveM wrote:
“Maybe see Paulo in yourself and in Paulo see everybody else…”
this is so true & so well said.
in the same way as we take it as a warning when we really dislike someone & know that they reflect something from our dark, shadow side. in the same way we also should see it as a “warning” when we really like something in someone else … because we recognize some of our good qualities we do not want to accept or have not discovered yet. using these two warnings have been good tools to come to know myself in “hidden” areas.
When I look in the mirror I hope I see more than just a shape – that something oozes out that is ‘rich’ in soul.
And hopefully the inner me is visible not only to myself but to others. As I move among my fellow human beings I will strive to spread love and compassion as on my own journey I ‘soul build’ – I will try……
“Love your fellow man” is what everyone needs to do indeed. I loved it. Thank you for sharing it :)
or in other words: Don’t judge a book by its cover! (don’t wanted to quote Saint Exupery again as everyone does it always)
← Previous Comments