Harry Terhanian.com

The man who always said, “Glory to God and His Wisdom
Pahrk kehz Der Ahstvahdz yehv ko eemahstoutioun.”

There was and there wasn’t a humble man whose faith in God was staunch. He was never bewildered or shaken in his faith regardless of what happened to him or his family. He had a wife and two children. They lived in a small cottage. He earned his living by transporting goods on his donkey. He took good care of the donkey treating it like a member of the family.

Whatever he did, he first would give praise to God:
“Pahrk kez Der Ahstvahdz yehv ko eemahstoutioun.”

After completing his work he would repeat the same. When someone said hello to him, he would give praise to God. In fact, he would repeat his praise of God every opportunity he had. It was second nature for him to praise God.

He was a happy man who was satisfied with what God gave him. He never forgot to thank God for his meager existence with his family. His wife and children were poor but happy. They always had their minimum needs and enjoyed their family life.

The friends and co-workers of the humble man decided to test his sincerity. One day they stole his donkey and took it deep into the forest. They tied the animal near a basin of water and left him. When they returned, it was time to work. They all assembled with their donkeys. The humble man came on foot. They asked:

“Where is your donkey, brother? The humble man said:

“Pahrk kehz Der Ahstvahdz yehv ko eemahstoutioun,” I think someone has stolen away my donkey.” His friends said:

“Ask your God to find the donkey!” They went on their way toward a neighboring village where there was work. The humble man prayed that day and stayed with his family.

That evening there were loud cries and noises coming from the village. The humble man went toward the commotion. He saw his friends who had returned from the day’s work. But, they were very distraught. He asked one of them, “What happened?”

“On the way to the next village, we were stopped by a large group of bandits. They made us dismount our donkeys. They whipped us and took whatever possession we had along with all the donkeys.”

“Parhk kehz Der Ahstvahdz yehv ko eemahstoutioun, Glory to God and His wisdom.
tzahvut dahnem May I take your suffering on me.
Ahstvahdzuh vohghohrmeh tzehz mugheetahroutian yehv bahstbahnoutian meechohtznehrov uhntmeest.” …… May God bless you by consoling you and protecting you always,” said the humble man.

The victims looked at the humble man and said:

“You have nothing to worry about because Your God has blessed and protected you. We stole your donkey and hid it in the forest as a joke. We’ll show you where it is. The joke is on us.”

hokeen havad pehr vor teemanaas

Bring your soul and faith to tolerate the suffering.

This proverb is used when there is a time of great suffering. The only thing that may mitigate the suffering is spiritual knowledge and faith in God. Due to the severity of the situation nothing else will help. In other words the situation is hopeless and only one’s faith in God will help.

The preliminary spiritual teaching is about the impermanence of material existence. The body of a person is impermanent and will be destroyed in time without any compromise. One needs to know about their personal existence beyond the impermanent body. In Armenian, hokee means the soul. Knowledge of the soul’s existence beyond the body and its eternal nature is the beginning of knowledge. There are three crucial points to be undestood for entry into spiritual life. First, the fundamental difference between the material body and the eternal soul of the individual. Second, one needs to understand the difference between the individual soul and the supreme individual soul or God. We are always subordinate to God and never equal. Third, one needs to understand how to eternally serve God with love and devotion. Lord Jesus Christ is an example of the success attained by understanding and practicing these three steps of knowledge. He explained the difference between the the body and the soul, man and God, and explained about the kingdom of God and how to get entry.

Only by such knwoledge and practice can one mitigate and transcend the miseries of material existence.