Pythagoras and what was forbidden while alive is allowed in the after life.

The Pythagoreans had strict diet requirements. They did not eat meat (good) and fish (not so good – especially in those days that the seas were clean from modern pollution). worse still they did not eat beans. In fact they had a great dislike of beans.

This detestation of beans caused the death of Pythagoras:

Cylo a rich and powerful banker (what else is new) felt slighted by the way Pythagoras had treated him and sent his henchmen to burn down the house in which Pythagoras and his followers would meet.

When the gathering place was burning down, Pythagoras’ followers formed a human bridge upon which the master escaped until he got to a bean field.

He stopped and would not enter the filed saying that he would rather die than profane himself by entering the bean field.

Cylo and his henchmen granted his wish…

***

After Pythagoras had died, he was walking in Hades (the Greek underworld) he meets Menippus (the Cynic) and asks for food.

Menippus tells pythagoras that he has only beans. To this Pythagoras replies, “I don’t care. Just give me some. Doctrines are different among the dead.”

***

Why is this a teaching story: Next time you are too bound by convention – assume you are dead.

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