Once, a father sent his son to the wisest man in the world to learn the secret of happiness. When the young man arrived at the palace, he entered a great hall filled with people; there were musicians, dancers, and all kinds of marvels. In the center of the hall sat the wise man, speaking with those who had come to see him.
The young man approached and explained why he had come. The wise man said:
“Now I am busy. While you wait, walk around the palace and observe it. But I have one condition: I will answer your question only if you walk around the palace holding this spoon in your hand.”
He handed him a spoon.
“Be careful,” he added. “There are two drops of oil in it, and you must not spill them.”
The young man walked around the palace, and after three hours he returned to the wise man, still holding the spoon. The two drops of oil were still in it.
The wise man asked him:
“So, did you see my beautiful Persian carpets? Did you see my magnificent garden? It took my gardener ten years to create it. Did you see the paintings and the statues?”
“No,” the young man replied. “I was careful not to spill the oil.”
“Then go and walk around the palace again,” said the wise man, “but this time, look carefully at everything.”
And so the young man walked around the palace once more, and this time he truly enjoyed all its beauty. But when he returned to the wise man, he noticed with horror that he had spilled the drops of oil from the spoon.
“This,” said the wise man, “is the secret of happiness:
to be able to enjoy the wonders of the world around you,
and at the same time not forget the two drops of oil in the spoon.”
Source: Traditional wisdom parable (known from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho)
