THE SELFISH SAINTS

 A minister said, “We must be selfless in order to be spiritual.  We must give up our own interests in favor of others, that we may know holiness.”

 The Gadfly answered, “We cannot be selfless, but must be selfish. Spirituality is not measured by our selflessness.  The saints and sages are not selfless, but have a selfishness strong enough to embrace the whole world.  If we live by the creed of loving others as ourselves, then selfishness is next to Godliness.”

THE SELFLESS TYRANT

 Someone said, “A strong and truly great man will not sacrifice himself for a weaker person, but would choose to rule over such people.” 

 The Gadfly replied, “If you strike that man’s foot, will he not limp and tend to his weakened foot?  That the same man abuses the weak among his own people is not a testimony to his greatness or strength.  In his ignorance and weakness, he cannot recognize the others as part of his own self.”