4.2 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 20 February 2018
⏱️ 4 minutes
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"The philosopher Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king. Said Aristippus, 'If you would learn to be
subservient to the king, you would not have to live on lentils.'
Said Diogenes, 'Learn to live on lentils, and you will not have to be subservient to the king.' " – from "The Song of the Bird" by Anthony de Mello
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| 0:00.0 | Once upon a time the philosopher Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. |
| 0:08.2 | He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus who lived comfortably by flattering the king. |
| 0:15.2 | Said Aristippus, if you would learn to be subservient to the king, |
| 0:21.5 | you would not have to live on lentils said theogenies learn to live on lentils and you |
| 0:29.5 | will not have to be subservient to the king. |
| 0:37.0 | Friend, if you will learn to live on lentils |
| 0:38.8 | and practice the skill over time, |
| 0:42.2 | you can enjoy a lifetime of liberty. |
| 0:46.6 | Now personally I happen to believe that liberty is something worth enjoying and worth pursuing. |
| 0:53.0 | There are many paths to liberty, |
| 0:55.2 | but wherever you are, if you have the skill of living on lentils, |
| 1:02.4 | read that of course as a metaphor for being able. living on lentils. |
| 1:02.5 | Read that of course as a metaphor for being able to live frugally. |
| 1:08.0 | You will be able to avoid a lifetime of subservience. That's a powerful concept because it is within your skill and |
| 1:18.6 | within your ability. These are skills and abilities that you can learn. |
| 1:23.5 | This is not something where you have to go and earn $10 million |
| 1:27.1 | in order to be financially free. |
| 1:29.1 | That may be possible for you, and if so, you should pursue it. That may not be possible for you. But it is |
| 1:36.7 | possible for every person to learn to live on lentils, so you'll not have to be subservient to the king. |
| 1:47.1 | If you will practice this skill and over your lifetime, continually keep yourself free of entangling alliances, you'll be able to be |
| 1:56.0 | far more impactful in the world. |
| 2:00.9 | If you are a teacher and you possess the skill of living on lentils, you'll be able to teach as you believe you should. You'll be able to teach what you believe you should |
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