Pursuit of Happiness
Mullah Nasreddin, a satirical Sufi figure, was once walking down a rustic lane, he saw a scene that stopped him on his tracks. A person was sitting on the road, alone with a tattered sack bag, looking miserable.
Mullah approached the person and inquired what was wrong with him? and why was he appearing, sad?
The man without looking up replied, "all that I own in this world barely fills this miserable, wretched sack. I have nothing left with me, life has been unfair, luck always shunned me, I am on a journey to find happiness".
The saint, after hearing him assured if he happiness is what he is seeking, he will have to part with his only bag. The man surprised commented whatever I have earned in my life is within the tattered bag, it contains nothing precious except a few clothes and promised, to part with the bag if the stranger helped me to find happiness.
Mullah comforted and asked him to settle down. As the man was beginning to relax, Mullah snatched the sack bag right from the man's hand and began, running down the road carrying it.
The man was stunned and hurriedly tried to chase the saint but could not match the pace.
Mullah knew the place well, so he hid behind a tree, as the man looked around desperately.
The person devastated at having lost everything, broke down in tears and cursed himself why me? While he was sobbing, Mullah crept unnoticed behind him and gently placed back the sack bag barely noticed by the poor man as he was still weeping over the lost bag. Mullah silently went back to his hiding.
Eventually, the person opened his eyes and saw the sack bag beside him and yelled in happiness on seeing his belonging back. He could not control his happiness and held the bag, close to his chest.
Mullah at, this point appeared from behind and told money is simply an illusion it does not give real happiness. Happiness is a state of our mind. It is inside us and, we keep looking for it outside of us.
The paradox in this tale is we keep running away after materialistic things as it keeps eluding us. If we equate money to a butterfly, we can attribute the saying 'if you love somebody set it free, if that comes back it was always yours, and if it doesn't it probably never was'.