Does anyone know the source of this parable?

June 7, 2012 4:36 PM

Does anyone know the source of this parable? I am using it and want to quote a source if I can find one! Once an enlightened master was asked by his disciples, “Master, it is so easy to reach God’s Love and, consequently, happiness. Why then are people so unhappy?” To this the master answered, “Nobody wants it.” But having seen that the disciples did not understand him, he sent them to inquire of people what they wanted. When they came back, they said that they had encountered many people from various classes in life. And none of them had said that they wanted be happy and to reach God’s love. They all answered that they wanted to buy a new house, to attain a high position, to earn lots of money, to have many children, to become more spiritual and moral...
posted by joshfeingold to Religion & Philosophy (2 answers total)

If MeFi doesn't come through for you, maybe try calling a university library and asking the religious studies/divinity librarian...
posted by elizeh at 7:27 PM on June 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

I'm not sure how much you're paraphrasing from memory, but the conflation of Western and Eastern religious terminology ("God's love" and "enlightened master") and the reference to everybody wanting to buy a new house make me suspect this is probably of contemporary origin, from the North American or Western European New Age movement.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 1:11 PM on June 8, 2012