If you've not read The Fisherman's Parable, or if it's been a while since you've read it, I highly recommend it; the message is quite meaningful. I had forgotten about this thought-provoking tale, which comes from folklore and is believed to be rooted in Buddhist tradition, until a TFP reader reminded me of the parable after reading my post, What do you look like under your mask?
I hope you enjoy The Fisherman's Parable. Please pass this along to anyone who might benefit by reading it...
One day a fisherman was sitting by his boat while playing with his child on a beautiful beach; his fishing pole resting against the boat.
A wealthy businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. Curious and horrified at the sight of the fisherman wasting the day, the businessman asked, "Why aren't you out fishing?"
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "Because I already caught enough fish for one day."
The businessman followed, "Why don't you catch some more?"
"What would I do with them?" replied the fisherman.
"You could earn extra money," said the businessman, "then with the extra money, you could buy a bigger boat, go into deeper waters, and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. With the nets, you could catch even more fish and make more money. With that money you could own two boats, maybe three boats. Eventually you could have a whole fleet of boats and be rich like me."
"Then what would I do?" asked the fisherman.
"Then," said the businessman, "you could really enjoy life."
The fisherman looked at the businessman quizzically and asked, "What do you think I am doing now?"
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This parable is indeed timely - in today's trend where people usually think of happiness as a thing that can be found in more expensive material possessions.
Posted by: Dr Greg Cynaumon | July 19, 2010 at 12:39 PM
This parable works from the view of one man. But, it doesn't work from the point of view of society. It is well known that civilization and art flourished once human beings moved from being hunter/gatherers into agriculture. This was because the work of a few could feed many. And, the many were as a result, free to really enjoy life (in the spirit of this parable. While this parable works from the point of view of the futility of being too greedy about money, etc, but it doesn't quite take the entire view of society as a whole.
Posted by: VK | July 02, 2012 at 06:23 PM
VK: You make a very good point and I completely agree. I can see how the parable doesn't fit society as a whole (assuming you mean the collective "society" of the world as we know it today) but it does fit the vast majority of the world population, which has long passed the hunter/gatherer societies, as well as the agrarian societies.
As the world became more "civilized," especially by the 20th century, humans became increasingly separated from Being (spirit, self-awareness, contentment, mindfulness, consciousness) and led more by ego satisfaction and materialism.
At a minimum, I believe anyone who is capable of finding this blog post on the Internet is susceptible to the distractions of the modern world. Therefore a story such as The Fisherman's Parable is hopefully a refreshing reminder that there is more to living than making money, buying things and serving the ego.
Thanks for the comment. I hope to hear from you again...
Posted by: Kent Thune | July 02, 2012 at 11:58 PM
Does anyone know where a copy of this parable can be purchased? I'm looking for it in a book format.
Posted by: sarah | October 30, 2013 at 06:40 PM