Its A Poor Man's Hut, Make Space!

Osho, Short Sufi Story
Caring is sharing. A short Sufi story illustrates the truth.

It was a dark rainy night and the woodcutter and his wife heard a knock on the door of their little hut. The hut was so small that only he and his wife could sleep. The wife was reluctant to open the door for the fear of sharing the very limited space.

The husband said, “This is not the palace of an emperor where there is no space. This is a poor man's hut. If two can lie down, one can sit! Open the door!"

A man stepped in drenched in the rain and sat just next to the door. He was naturally grateful to the woodcutter for accommodating him in his little dwelling.

The three of them started a conversation. As they sat talking there was another knock on the door.

The woodcutter said to the guest, “Friend, open the door"

The man replied, “There is absolutely no space. We can hardly sit"

The woodcutter replied, “You seem to argue like my wife. Had I not ordered her to open the door, you would have been eaten by wild animals. So open the door!"

Nobody could object and so the door was opened.

Another man came into the hut appearing very grateful. Now they squeezed beside each other.

After sometime there was another rap on the door which sounded rather strange. The two guests and the wife of the woodcutter feared that they will be ordered to open the door. Just as they feared the woodcutter asked them to open the door.

Now there was resistance from all the three of them.
The woodcutter said, “But this is a poor man's hut, we can create the space, so open the door. This I know is my donkey. He has served me well. I can't let him get wet in the rain. Further more it has a philosophical attitude. You can say anything and he can remain quiet, undisturbed"

He continued, “Now we are sitting. If the donkey is accommodated, we can all stand!"

As the others mumbled under their breath, the door was opened and the donkey hurried in with water dripping from its body.

All of them stood up encircling the donkey!

Osho says, that it is beautiful to share what one has. If one has nothing, there is still something to share out of the nothing!

Caring is thus sharing.