The parable of the magician and the sheep - a favorite parable of George Gurdjieff, who often told her to his disciples.

In a clearing among the vast forest, there lived a magician who had a large flock of sheep. Every day, he ate a sheep from the flock. Sheep have caused a lot of anxiety wizard - they ran through the woods, and he had to spend a lot of time trying to catch one sheep, and other re-assemble in the herd. Of course sheep, which he was going to kill him, felt it and began desperately to resist, and her screams scared others. And then the magician has decided to come up with a trick - he talked to each sheep alone, and each something inspired.

One, he said, "You're not a sheep, you are the same person as I was. You have nothing to be afraid, because I only kill and eat sheep, but you are the only person in this herd and then - my best friend ».

Second, he said, "Why are you running away from me, the other sheep. You lioness and you have nothing to fear. I only kill the sheep, and you're my friend ».

Third he inspired: "Look, you are not sheep, you wolf. Wolf, which I respect. I, as before, will continue to kill each day one lamb out of the flock, but the wolf, the best friend of the wizard, there is nothing to fear ».
Thus, he spoke with each of the sheep and each inspired that she was not a sheep, a totally different animal, which is different from all the other sheep in the herd. After this conversation, the behavior of sheep completely changed - they are quietly grazing and never ran into the woods. And when the magician killed another sheep, they thought, "Well, killed another sheep, and me - a lion, a wolf, a man best friend, the magician, nothing to fear».

Even sheep, which he killed, no longer resist. He just came up to one of them and said, "Oh, my best friend, we have not talked. Come to my yard. I need your advice about the flock. " And sheep proudly walked into the courtyard of the wizard. And there he actually asked his best friend, how things are going in the herd. Victim gladly told him everything, and then the magician kill her. Since the death occurred instantaneously, the sheep did not manage to understand.

The Wizard was very pleased - he raised his self-esteem of each of the sheep, in the end, they stopped to bother with thoughts of imminent death, became less neurotic, enjoy life and quietly grazing, resulting in their meat was much tastier. Over the years, the magician is easily controlled with a large herd, and the most interesting thing that the rest of the sheep began to help him - if any are too clever sheep began to speculate about the true state of affairs, the other Regional Exhibition Center ... well, that is, lions, people, wolves - best friends wizard, informed him about the strange behavior of the sheep, and the next day the magician gladly ate it.

Such is the parable. And you, by the way, who considers himself - a lion, a wolf or perhaps even human?