ThreeSonsbyLevTolstoy (Theparable)
Fathergavehissonanestate,bread,cattle,andsaid:"LivethewayIlive,and youwillalwaysbewell."
Thesontookeverythingfathergavehim,lefthisfatherandstartedlivingfor hisownpleasure."BecausethefathersaidthatIshouldlivelikehedoes.He livesandrejoices,andI'lllivethesameway."
Helivedthatwayone,two,ten,twentyyears,andhasspentallofhisfather's estate,andnothingwasleftfromit.Andhestartedaskingfathertogivehim more;butthefatherdidnotlistentohim.Thenhestartedtoappeasehis father,tomakehimgiftsoutofthebesthehad,andbeghim.Butthefather didn’tanswerhim.Thenthesonbegantoaskforhisfather’sforgiveness, wonderingifhehadoffendedhisfatherbysomething,andheagainasked himtogivehimmore;butthefathersaidnothing.
Andthenthesonbegantodamnthefather.Hesaid:
-Ifyoudon’tgivemeanythingnow,whydidyougivebefore,andseparated me,andpromisedthatIwillalwayslivewell?Allofmyoldjoy,whenIlived offmybelongings,arenotworthanhourofthecurrenttorture.IseethatI’m failing,andthereisnoescape.Butwhoistoblame?-You.Youknewthis propertywouldn’tbeenoughforme,anddidn’tgivememore.Youtoldme only:livelikeme,andyouwillbefine.Ilivedlikeyou.Youhavelivedat yourpleasure,andIlivedatmyownpleasure.Youleftmoreforyourself. Nowyou'vehaveeverything,andIhavenotenough.Youarenotthefatherto me,butadeceiverandavillain.Damnmylife,damnyou,villain,tormentor, Idon’twanttoknowyouandIhateyou.
Fathergavetheestatetohissecondson,too,andsaidonly:"LiveasIdo,and youwillbealwayswell."Thesecondsonwasn’tsohappywiththeproperty, asthefirstsonwas.Hethoughthedeservesit.Butheknewwhathappenedto
hiselderbrother,andthereforebegantothinkabouthowtonotliveoffall theestateinthesamemannerasthefirstonedid.Herealizedthathiselder brotherdidn’tquiteunderstandthewords:“livelikeIdo”,andthatone shouldnotliveonlyforhisownpleasure.Andhestartedthinkingwhatit means:“livelikeIdo”andfiguredthatitisnecessary,likehisfather,tomake himselfthepropertyliketheoneisgiventohim.Andhestartedmakingthe samepropertyagain,justlikethatonethathisfathergavehim.
Andhestartedthinking,howtomakebyhimselfeverythingthathisfather gavehim.Hebeganaskinghisfatherhowandwhattodo;butthefatherdid notanswerhim.Thesonthoughtthatthefatherwasafraidtotellhim,andhe begantodisassembleallthingstounderstandhoweverythingwasdone,and spoiledanddestroyedeverythinghereceivedfromhisfather,andeverything hemadenew-allofthatwasnottothebenefit;buthedidnotwanttoadmit thathespoiledeverything,sohelivedandsuffered,andtoldeveryonethat hisfatherdidnotgivehimanything,andhedideverythingbyhimself."And weallcandoeverythingourselvesbetterandbetter,andwe’llsoonreachthe timewheneverythingwillbeperfect".That’swhatthesecondsontold,while hehadsomethingleftfromhisfather’sproperty,butwhenthelastthing brokeandhehadnothingleftforliving,heputhandsonhimselfandkilled himself.
Thefathergavethesamepropertytothethirdsonandsaidthesame:"Live thewayIlive,andyouwillbealwayswell."Andthethirdson,justasthe firstandsecond,wasdelightedtohavethepropertyandlefthisfather;buthe knewwhathappenedwiththeolderbrothers,andbegantothinkaboutwhatit means:“livethewayIlive,andyouwillalwaysbewell.”
Theoldestbrotherthoughttolivelikethefatherdoesmeanstoliveathis ownpleasure,andhespenteverythinganddisappeared.Thesecondbrother thoughttolivelikethefatherdoesmeanstomakebyhimselfeverythingwhat hisfathermade,andalsogotdesperate.So,whatdoesitmeans:tolivelikeas thefatherlives?
Andherememberedallwhatheknewabouttheirfather.Andnomatterhow muchhethought,hedidn'tknowanythingelseaboutthefatherexceptthat
beforenothingexisted,hehimselfdidn’texist;andthatthefatherbegat,fed, nurturedhim,taughtanddidallkindofgoodtohimandtold:“livethewayI do,andyouwillalwaysbewell.”Fatherdidthesametohisbrothers.Andno matterhowmuchhethought,hecouldn'tlearnabouthisfatheranything more.Allheknewabouthisfatherwasjustthathisfatherwasdoinggoodto himandtohisbrothers.
Andthenherealizedwhat“tolivehisfather’sway”means.Herealizedthat tolivelikehisfatherdoesmeansdoingwhathedoes-doinggoodtopeople.
Andassoonashethoughtthat,hisfatherwasalreadynearhimandsaid: "Hereweareagaintogetherandyouwillalwaysbewell.Gotoyour brothers,toallmychildren,andtellthemwhatitmeans:tolivelikeIdo,and thatitistruethatthosewhowillliveasIdowillalwaysbewell."
Andthethirdsonwentandtoldthattoallhisbrothers,andsincethenallthe children,whentheyreceivedthepropertiesfromtheirfather,rejoicednotthat theyhavegotalotofbelongings,butthattheycanliveinthesamewayas theirfatherdoes,andthattheywillalwaysbewell.
Thefather-isGod;thesons-arepeople;theestate-islife.Peoplethinkthat theycanlivealone,withoutGod.Someofthesepeoplethinkthatlifeisgiven tothemsothattheyhavefuninthislife.Theyarehavingfunandsquander theirlives,butasthetimecomestodie,theydon'tunderstandwhysuchlife wasgiven,wherefunthatendswithsufferinganddeath.Andthesepeople die,cursingGodandcallinghimevil,andseparatefromGod.Thisisthefirst son.
Otherpeoplethinkthatlifewasgiventothemtounderstandhowitismade, andtomakeitbetterthanthatonewhichwasgiventothembyGod.And theyarestrugglingtomakeanother,betterlife.They,byimprovingthislife, ruiningitandthusdeprivethemselvesoflife.
Stillotherssay:"AllthatweknowaboutGodisthathegivespeopleblessing, tellsthemtodothesameashedoes,andthereforewewilldothesameashe does,thatisbenefitpeople."
Andassoonastheystartdoingthis,Godhimselfcomestothemandsays:
-ThisiswhatIwanted.DowithmetogetherwhatIdo,andyouwillliveasI live.