He drew a third line and crossed it out. “Fame, limitless wealth, power over others. These are neither natural nor necessary. They are bottomless pits. The more you feed them, the hungrier they grow.”
He plucked a ripe fig from a nearby tree. “People believe happiness requires endless money, powerful friends, and exotic pleasures. But watch a child with a fig — pure joy needs no gold. The problem isn’t pleasure itself. The problem is empty desires.”
One evening, discouraged and exhausted, Cleon heard a rumor of an old teacher who lived outside the city walls in a simple garden. His name was Epicurus.
Cleon looked around again. The people weren’t pretending to be happy. They were laughing at a simple joke, helping each other water the herbs, and resting in the afternoon shade. epicurus the art of happiness pdf
Cleon hesitated. “I’ve come to learn your secret. How do you live without wealth or fame — yet seem happier than any merchant in the agora?”
Cleon traveled the dusty road to the garden. He expected marble columns and lavish fountains — but found only a small vegetable patch, a few olive trees, and a low stone house with an open courtyard. A group of men and women, young and old, sat together on simple benches, sharing bread and figs. They spoke softly, laughed often, and seemed utterly at peace.
Epicurus drew three lines in the sand.
He gestured to his friends in the courtyard. “See these people? We share our meals, our work, our thoughts. Friendship is the greatest wisdom for happiness — more than any medicine or fortune. A true friend multiplies joy and divides sorrow.”
That night, Cleon slept on a straw mat in the garden, under the stars. He dreamed not of gold or glory, but of figs and friendly voices.
Epicurus smiled and handed him a piece of bread. “Let me tell you what I have learned, not from books, but from watching life.” He drew a third line and crossed it out
“No,” Epicurus said gently. “I say: want what is enough. ”
An elderly man with kind eyes rose to greet him. “You look troubled, friend. Sit. Eat.”
Cleon frowned. “So you say I should want nothing?” They are bottomless pits