Parables of Wisdom
Three Students
तीन विद्यार्थी · ત્રણ વિદ્યાર્થીઓ
Go where no one can see you, said the teacher. But is there such a place?
- 3 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A wise teacher gives each of his three students a little bird made of flour and tells them to break it in a place where no one can see. Two come back quickly. The third takes much longer.
What it teaches Integrity Ahimsa Inner witness
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, a wise teacher lived by a river with three students. One morning he gave each of them a little bird made of flour dough. It was baked golden brown, and it looked almost real, with tiny wings and a tiny beak.
"Take your bird," said the teacher, "and go where nobody can see you. Then break it."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
There is always a witness, even when we think we are alone.
To talk about together
What would you do differently if you knew someone was always watching with love?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.