The Father's Will and the Berkutchi

Father's Will

When one elder noticed that his only son was deeply engrossed in collecting things and property, it greatly troubled him. "How can I explain to my son that a life lived for the sake of acquiring wealth will inevitably lead to disappointment?" he pondered, finding no answer.

One day, the old man fell seriously ill. He then called his heir to him and made a strange request: "My son, I want you to do one very important thing for me."
- "Whatever you say, father."
- "Promise me that when I die, you will not allow anyone to take off my socks. Let them bury me in them."
The son was very surprised by this strange request, but out of respect for his father, he did not show it. "I will do everything as you said," he replied.

Two weeks later, the elder passed away. At his funeral, the son ordered that no one should remove his father's socks under any circumstances. "Do everything as it should be, but do not touch them," he said. The mullah disagreed: "We must wash the body of the deceased in order to read the janazah (funeral prayer) over his grave."

- "I will not do this if you do not undress him. These are the rules of our religion, and no exceptions are made for anyone." No amount of pleas or persuasion helped; the mullah was unyielding. Realizing that the argument was futile, the young man yielded to the clergyman's demands. But when the socks were removed from the deceased, a folded piece of paper fell out of them. Picking it up, the son read the words written in his father's hand: "Son, remember: even if a person gathers all the wealth of the world, when leaving life, he will not be able to take even a pair of socks with him."

Berkutchi

Once upon a time, there were two neighbors. One was a berkutchi, a master who trained golden eagles for hunting wild game. The other was a prosperous livestock breeder who raised cows.

It is unknown who was to blame, but over the many years of friendly relations between the neighbors, a bond never formed. And all would have been well, but one day the livestock breeder accused his neighbor of theft. "The berkutchi stole my cow," he told the villagers. The offended master then demanded that the matter be judged by the council of elders.

After listening to both sides and consulting among themselves, the elders entrusted the elder of the village to speak. "Our opinion is as follows," he addressed the livestock breeder, "we do not believe that this man stole your cow. For many years he has been raising and training golden eagles, teaching them the art of hunting. A person who is passionate about eagles would never stoop to theft. He is an enthusiast, dreaming of the heights of the sky where his charges soar. You are mistaken to think of him as an ordinary thief."

People often suspect others of what is inherent in themselves. Each thinks according to the measure of their own consciousness.