Contentment

Contentment is a vital ingredient of wise love. Here’s a story by Anthony De Mello, a Catholic priest who had a great way of making things simple out of what seemed complex philosophical ideas:

The Contented Fisherman

A rich man on holiday by the seaside came across a fisherman sitting beside his boat, smoking his pipe and drinking a cup of tea. “Why aren’t you out fishing in your fine boat? It’s a fine day and you could catch plenty of fish. You’re just wasting valuable time sitting here idly like this,” said the wealthy traveler.

“I’ve caught enough fish for today. Why do I need any more?” asked the fisherman.

“Well, more fish means more profit. You could sell your excess fish in the market, and after a while you would have enough money to buy yourself some bigger nets. That would allow you to catch even more fish. Then you could maybe buy a second boat and hire more men to work for you. Perhaps in ten years’ time you might have a big house, nice clothes, and a lot of money in the bank,” said the rich man, sticking out his chest.

“And what would I do then?”

“Then you’d really be able to take it easy and enjoy life!”

“What do you think I’m doing now?” asked the fisherman as he took another drink from his cup.