Sunday, June 28, 2015

Life is a Prime Number.

Image result for 17 camels and 3 sons

A father’s will was read.  Divide my 17 camels among my 3 sons accordingly: ½ to the oldest, 1/3 to the middle son, and 1/9 to the youngest.  But how were these divisions possible? The 3 sons quarreled.  Finally, they decided to go to a wise woman.  The wise woman listened patiently about the will. She thought hard.  She went away. And when she returned, she added her 1 camel to make 18. Then, she gave the oldest son 9, the middle son 6, and the youngest son 2 camels—according to the will.  This left 1 camel.  The sons quickly agreed to give the extra camel back to the wise woman. They returned home happy.  

ORIGINAL LESSON: Negotiation and problem solving is the struggle to find the 18th camel, i.e. the common ground, in order to resolve any issue.  Read Ury's The Third Side. 

BUDDHIST LESSON: If we applied wisdom and compassion, how could this problem have been resolved more simply or even avoided all together?


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"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - from A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf