My bag is the smallest...

One man used to pray to god, "I must be the most miserable man I n the world and I have been praying my whole life. And I don't want much - I simply want to change my miseries, with anybody you like, because everybody seems to be happy. I am willing. You choose."


That night he had a dream. He heard a voice thundering from the sky:" Everybody take out your miseries and put it in a bag and rush towards temple."


He thought perhaps his prayer had been heard.


So he filled a bag with every misery he had. And what he found on the road..."My God!" he said, "this is strange" - because his bag was just a small one. Others were carrying such big bags; a few were even supported by servants.


He said," My God, these are the beautiful people! I have seen them. Now I know why god was not listening to my prayers, but it is too late. If I can save my bag and come back home, I will remain grateful to God forever".


And in the temple they again heard the voice: "Everybody hangs your bag on the wall. And then the lights will be put off and a bell will ring; that will be the signal - in the dark you can choose any bag that you want. So while it is light, look all around. And stand near the bag that you want, so that in the darkness you don't miss it."


The man who had prayed was just holding his bag. But he was surprised - another surprise, surprise upon surprise - everybody was standing with his own bag, holding on.


He asked a few people, "Why are you holding your bag?"


They said, "Why are you holding yours? - For the same reason. At least we know what these miseries are. Somebody else's miseries, unknown, unacquainted...now at this age, to begin from scratch... It's better to live with our old friends, our old miseries."


And the lights were turned off and everybody grabbed his bag, ran out of the temple, and they were all happy and hilarious that they had got their own bags.


And the man who had prayed was so grateful: "God is really compassionate; otherwise, today I was going to be in a mess. Those big bags - my God, what kind of miseries people are hiding! And these are the people...I was thinking they were happy and I was the most miserable person, but my bag was the smallest!..."