One day as a gardener was weeding his garden, he was
approached by a crowd from a nearby town.
“Gardener, we have come to confront you directly. For once and for all, what is this mysterious
Truth we have heard you repeatedly hint at?”
“I cannot answer you
directly,” replied the gardener.
“Why not?” the crowd
demanded. “It sounds as though you are afraid to say.”
“I am indeed
cautious,” confirmed the gardener.
“That’s what we
expected,” sneered the crowd, “soothsayers speaking falsehoods are always
afraid to be presented to the daylight.
They prefer their darks corners instead, where they cannot be judged.”
“It is not at all
daylight I fear, my brothers. In fact,
daylight is my friend, as it is yours,” said the gardener.
“Then why the
secrecy?” they demanded, “Is it that you yourself fear our truths and have made
this up to make yourself appear wiser than we?”
“Not at all,” assured
the gardener, “I myself know nothing.”
“Then why do you
allude that you are the keeper of this great secret?” the crowd inquired.
“I do not. There is no secret. The Truth is equally open and visible to all
at every moment of every single day.”
“Then tell us,”
demanded the crowd.
“You are like buds of
beautiful flowers, tightly closed at present.
To speak to you directly of the Truth would be as though I brutally
forced your petals open by hand. The
result is not a beautiful bloom, but a disaster. A wise gardener would never do that, but
would rather position you in the light, where forces inherent in your original
nature would hear the voice of the sun for themselves and upon their own, open
and bloom in their full glory. This is
known as The Way.”
The crowd shook their heads and mumbled to themselves, not
understanding what he said. All but one
left in confusion. “Please, sir,” the
one remaining whispered, “I do believe you. I am deeply trouble by the
contradictions I see around me, and doubly concerned that I alone seem to
notice. Have mercy and tell me where to
find this great secret, for I long for it unquenchably with all my heart. I know it is the only thing that will bring
me peace.”
“Remember that
religions are merely rafts that may or may not aid you in your crossing. Once you have reached the shore you seek,
what need have you of a raft? Abandon
its confines quickly and permanently, for great multitudes have made their
rafts tiny floating prisons from which they can glimpse the shore, but never
experience for themselves, unless they leave their raft. The waters are plugged with such rafts full
of contentedly deluded people, who imagine they have arrived. Do not follow in their wake.”
“Furthermore, you may
seek inspiration in the form of nature, inspired written words, enlightened
music, or divine art. They are all suitable rafts as well for the
choosing. Chose wisely.”
“But most
importantly, all rafts may be avoided if you look deeply inside yourself. There you will find The Way, the Truth, and
the Light. Nothing else is ever needed,
for you already carry within you unaware all that you so earnestly seek. Follow these guidelines and you can not fail
to discover that which you long for.”
And with that, the gardener turned back to his gardening,
for he had promised his father a large harvest that year.
-unAsleep
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