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The Bostan of Saadi of Shiraz by Saadi

This is a book listed by the Guardian with the 100 best Books Ever. And it is an interesting read, short and with some wisdom. Perhaps I am wrong and it is a lot or even Infinite Wisdom. It must be surely for some. I have my doubts though��
I need to start on a positive note- I am reading some best self-help, psychology and spiritual classics, so I should show some progress, even if one psychologist condemns this habit of imposing on ourselves and calls it “Must-arbation��, which is bad and opposed to masturbation which is good.

Bostan contains a lot of sound advice, wise stories accumulated through centuries: it talks about humility, as the path to Greatness, look not for godliness in a self-conceited man, love for virtue, Eminence does not consist in outward show, vaunting words��
The language is very beautiful: “If thou desire greatness abandon pride�� �� how about self –esteem? A book I am reading now is the psychology classic: The Importance of Self-Esteem��

“An ass covered with a nice cloth is still an ass”…I agree and I can see one right next door.

The book gets a bit violent at times: “your enemy…dash out his brains
To get the whole point of the book you need to be a believer: Saadi says that it is not the tiger that gets the food, but God gives it to him –and I guess to everyone- I still search for that Truth, indeed for the Truth...
“The poor man is a king, whose wife is Obedient”…now try and appreciate that in the XX-th century.
Or this other piece of ancient rhetoric:
“It is better that a vicious son dies before his father”��

Of course there are stories which praise qualities, virtues that are still noble today: kindness, courage-
In a desert, this kind man takes his hat to a spring and brings water to a suffering, thirsty dog��

There are cultural, historical and religious differences which impede, at least this reader, from really enjoying this book.