Arguing mangoes

Once I witnessed two spiritual teachers, worlds apart, arguing about mangoes.

The one: A big bombastic local man. Used to getting his way by being the loudest and the bulliest. The other: A wizened old man, visiting. With a wispy white beard befitting a wizard from the stories.

Community teachers, sitting side by side.

A community member, with a countenance of great glee, presented a mango to them. A local mango. A declaration was made with that specific piece of information: "Teachers, here is a local mango. Is it not a great one?".

Gears were set in motion. Two men sat up slightly straighter. The wise old man started by declaring outright, that local mangoes have nothing, nay nothing, on mangoes from his country. Those are the real ones. Those are the ones worth measuring.

The big man laughed heartily and stated that the pride for those mangoes always amused him greatly. And how they all just need to accept that the local mangoes are superior.

It was a dumb argument.

I knew it. The big man did not. The wise one - he knew it too. We locked eyes while his voice got louder and more persistent.

Those eyes, were soft and quiet.

Later I asked him. Why did you enter into that argument?

"Because if we don’t fight about the mangoes, we will fight about the real differences. This way, is kinder."