Cages

 In a mountainous region, a man of freedom rested for a day in a caravanserai. That caravanserai had a beautiful parrot, and the owner had taught the parrot... The parrot was continuously asking for freedom – “Freedom!” It was strange....

The stranger, an enlightened man, could not believe this whole thing. Because first you put him in the cage, and then you teach him to repeat “Freedom!” If the owner is honest, he should give him freedom!

In the night, he could not resist. He woke up, opened the door of the parrot’s cage, and told the parrot, “Now the doors are open and the whole sky is yours. Get out!”

And the parrot was clinging to the cage, and still shouting loudly, “Freedom, freedom!”

 Finally the man said, “This is strange – the door is open! Why are you clinging to the cage?”

 He forced his hand inside, took the parrot out – it was very unwilling, gave a good fight, scratched his hand – but the man took the parrot out, and threw it into the sky. Then, feeling a deep relief, he went to sleep. In the morning, the first thing he heard was, “Freedom!”

He looked out and the parrot was inside the cage; the door was still open....

Outside the cage it is such a vast life, one becomes afraid. There are enemies; there will be days that are too cold, there will be nights that are too hot, there will be times you will have to go hungry. There will be nobody continuously protecting you.

Once you have become accustomed to living in a cage, freedom becomes a very dangerous idea.