The Monk And The Sly Chickpea: A Tale of Wisdom and Deception

Once upon a time in a remote village nestled in the lush green valleys of a mystical land, there lived a wise old monk. This monk had been renowned for his deep understanding of life's mysteries and his ability to solve the most perplexing riddles. People from far and wide would seek his guidance, hoping to gain insight and wisdom from his profound teachings.

One sunny morning, as the monk was enjoying the tranquility of his humble abode, he spotted a little chickpea rolling on the ground towards him. Intrigued by this unusual sight, he picked it up and held it in the palm of his hand. The chickpea seemed to emanate an aura of mischievousness, as if it possessed a secret that it was eager to reveal.

The monk, sensing an opportunity for yet another lesson in life, decided to engage the chickpea in conversation. "Dear chickpea, why do you roll towards me with such eagerness? Do you bring with you a tale of wisdom or deception?" The chickpea chuckled lightly and replied, "Oh wise monk, I possess not only a tale, but a riddle too! Are you ready to unveil the secrets hidden within?"

The Monk and the Sly Chickpea: Travels on Corfu

by Thomas Shor (Kindle Edition)

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2144 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	185 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

The monk, intrigued by the challenge presented to him, nodded in agreement. And thus, the journey of unraveling the wisdom entwined within the sly chickpea began.

The chickpea began its story by recounting the tale of a young shepherd boy named Arjun, who possessed an insatiable desire for wealth and power. One day, Arjun stumbled upon a magical golden chickpea, similar to the one held by the monk. This chickpea, the cunningly sly one, offered him a deal that he could not resist.

"Arjun, if you plant me in the richest soil of your village, tend to me with care and patience, I promise you unimaginable wealth," whispered the sly chickpea. Arjun, enticed by the prospect of untold riches, agreed without a second thought, and the magical chickpea was planted in the fertile soil.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as Arjun diligently watered, nurtured, and protected the chickpea. The entire village watched in awe as the plant grew rapidly, sprouting countless leaves and branches. Eventually, it yielded a bountiful harvest of golden chickpeas, each more mesmerizing than the previous one. Arjun's wealth multiplied beyond his wildest dreams, and the village prospered under his newfound riches.

However, amidst the euphoria of material wealth, Arjun grew arrogant and egotistical, forgetting the true essence of life's blessings and the goodness in his heart. The sly chickpea noticed this transformation and decided to teach Arjun a lesson he would never forget.

Disguising himself as a beggar, the chickpea approached Arjun one day, seeking food and shelter. But Arjun, blinded by his ego, rudely dismissed the beggar and refused to offer assistance. The chickpea, revealing its true identity, admonished Arjun for his arrogance and reminded him of the compassion and humility he had lost along the way.

Filled with remorse, Arjun realized the gravity of his actions and begged for forgiveness. He pledged to utilize his wealth to uplift the lives of others, providing them with the kindness and generosity that he had forsaken. This newfound path of selflessness brought Arjun a deeper sense of fulfillment and joy than any material possession ever could.

As the monk absorbed the tale, he pondered the lessons hidden within the story of the sly chickpea. He realized that true wealth lies not in the accumulation of material possessions, but in the enrichment of one's soul through acts of kindness, compassion, and humility. The tale of Arjun and the sly chickpea taught him the importance of remaining grounded and connected to the values that truly define one's character.

The monk, grateful for the wisdom imparted by the sly chickpea, placed it gently on the ground and bid it farewell. For he had learned that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant entities can possess great wisdom, waiting patiently to be discovered.

And so, the legend of the monk and the sly chickpea continued to inspire and spread, reminding people of the power of humility, compassion, and learning from the most unexpected sources.

As we navigate through the complexities of life, let us remember this tale and seek the wisdom that resides in every corner, as even the sliest of chickpeas can teach us valuable lessons.

The Monk and the Sly Chickpea: Travels on Corfu

by Thomas Shor (Kindle Edition)

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2144 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	185 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

THE MONK AND THE SLY CHICKPEA tells the story of a journey the author and photographer Thomas K. Shor took in 1981 as a young man to the Greek island of Corfu. His journey starts in an idyllic coastal village in a house surrounded by lush fruit and olive trees. While many a young man’s journey to Greece would feature a coastal village and even a strip of white beach, Thomas K. Shor’s journey led him, with a certain inevitability, to the island’s highest mountain, the wind-swept and craggy Mount Pantokrator, and to the ancient stone monastery that crowns its peak. It was there that he lived with the monastery’s sole inhabitant of over forty years, the fiery-eyed Greek Orthodox monk Evthókimos Koskinás, a man of both the mountain and of God. From that stormy peak, often pounded by bolder-splitting lightning, sharing meals of chickpeas seasoned with the mountain’s wild herbs drenched in olive oil, Shor comes to some startlingly profound insights for a young man of twenty-two. THE MONK AND THE SLY CHICKPEA, which is revised and has a new Postscript describing the author’s return to Corfu and his encounters with the monk after twenty years, was originally published as Part I of the book WINDBLOWN CLOUDS by Escape Media Publishers, USA, in 2003. FROM THE REVIEW BY THE RENOWNED BRITISH POET KATHLEEN RAINE: In Thomas Shor’s narrative the absorbing writing is the least of his gifts: he creates the imaginative adventure of his life as he lives it. He plunges into the story almost by accident, leaving a steamer bound for Athens by mistake at Corfu. But in Thomas Shor’s life there are no mistakes, only opportunities, and before long we find him sharing the life of the last surviving monk at a monastery high on Mount Pantokrator, his meals of chick peas, garlic and olive oil, his toils, and the dense fogs and storms of the highest mountain on Corfu. The old monk wants him to become his successor, but life runs on, leading perhaps inevitably to the Indian sub-continent. Thomas Shor’s life is a continual unfolding of those inner and outer worlds which his sense of wonder discovers continually. His story reminds us that we are, or could be, travelers in a world of marvels, of love, and encounters with men and women themselves on pilgrimages of the imagination. Did not the Emperor Haroun al-Rashid for a thousand and one nights hear in the city of Baghdad endless stories that make up the one story of the world? Once involved in Thomas Shor’s adventure of life, one hopes only for more. Kathleen Raine (D.Litt., Cambridge; Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France; Commander of the British Empire; Winner—Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, England, etc.)