Here's a story I wrote a year ago. Light. LW
The Peasant, the Donkey, and the Cart
In a town far away, 3 Beings visit a Nagual, seeking the meaning of Life. The 3 are: an Intellectual, a Philosopher, and a Provider. After considering their question, the Nagual hands them a picture of a Peasant, leading a Donkey, pulling a Cart with a sack of grain to market. The Nagual says, “The meaning of Life is here, if you can see your Self in this picture.”
The three study the picture at length and in detail. Finally, the Intellectual rises and speaks. “Thank you, Wise One, for the insight. I clearly see my Self as the Peasant. My Life is a journey that I lead and direct, using the tools available (natural and man-made) to progress and succeed in Life.”
The Nagual looks sadly at the Intellectual and says, “Please sit down. Your logic and knowledge have colored your vision.”
Then the Philosopher rises and says, “I agree, Master. Certainly, I am the Donkey. Caught between the tug of my desires and the load of my burdens, I must continue to trudge onward, ever onward, lest I feel the sting of the stick.” …(As the Master winces and before he can speak, the Philosopher quickly sits down.)
Now the once timid Provider boldly stands, certain that the others’ failure has ensured his success. “Indeed, in this picture I am the Cart. My body and physical ability allow Me to support others and shoulder my responsibilities, as I roll down the journey of my Life. Yes, the mind and feelings direct and pull me, but my body keeps Me rolling on the road of Life.”
Wearily, the Master rises and speaks. “You do not see either, join your blind friends with a seat. You each have only seen that which you want to see, not that which you could see. The You I speak of is so much more than any of those individuals.”
After a short moment, and in unison, the 3 say “Surely then, our Self is a collection of all three objects in the picture! Of course, all are depended upon to complete the journey!”
As they celebrate their discovery, the Master waits and smiles. When the Mitote’ quiets, he speaks softly…. “Consider that the Self to be seen is no more all three than it is any one. Your true Self is much, much more. Indeed, your Self in the picture is within the sack of Grain.”
As the three fall silent and confused, the Nagual continues…. “You are the Grain. You are on a journey with an unknown destination, complete with an unimaginable transformation awaiting. The Mind, Heart and Body exert force and influence in their own way, along the way, but Your only job is to Exist and Experience. And finally, regarding this Journey called Your Life, it is because of You that the Others even Exist. Without your Self, the mind, heart and body vanish. And so, You are the Grain. Nurtured by others before, and destined to nurture others to come, all because of Your Existence alone!”
With new awareness, the three leave the Nagual and continue their respective Journeys…… Now more ingrained in their Truth Nature…
Laughing Warrior
16JAN05
The Peasant, the Donkey, and the Cart
In a town far away, 3 Beings visit a Nagual, seeking the meaning of Life. The 3 are: an Intellectual, a Philosopher, and a Provider. After considering their question, the Nagual hands them a picture of a Peasant, leading a Donkey, pulling a Cart with a sack of grain to market. The Nagual says, “The meaning of Life is here, if you can see your Self in this picture.”
The three study the picture at length and in detail. Finally, the Intellectual rises and speaks. “Thank you, Wise One, for the insight. I clearly see my Self as the Peasant. My Life is a journey that I lead and direct, using the tools available (natural and man-made) to progress and succeed in Life.”
The Nagual looks sadly at the Intellectual and says, “Please sit down. Your logic and knowledge have colored your vision.”
Then the Philosopher rises and says, “I agree, Master. Certainly, I am the Donkey. Caught between the tug of my desires and the load of my burdens, I must continue to trudge onward, ever onward, lest I feel the sting of the stick.” …(As the Master winces and before he can speak, the Philosopher quickly sits down.)
Now the once timid Provider boldly stands, certain that the others’ failure has ensured his success. “Indeed, in this picture I am the Cart. My body and physical ability allow Me to support others and shoulder my responsibilities, as I roll down the journey of my Life. Yes, the mind and feelings direct and pull me, but my body keeps Me rolling on the road of Life.”
Wearily, the Master rises and speaks. “You do not see either, join your blind friends with a seat. You each have only seen that which you want to see, not that which you could see. The You I speak of is so much more than any of those individuals.”
After a short moment, and in unison, the 3 say “Surely then, our Self is a collection of all three objects in the picture! Of course, all are depended upon to complete the journey!”
As they celebrate their discovery, the Master waits and smiles. When the Mitote’ quiets, he speaks softly…. “Consider that the Self to be seen is no more all three than it is any one. Your true Self is much, much more. Indeed, your Self in the picture is within the sack of Grain.”
As the three fall silent and confused, the Nagual continues…. “You are the Grain. You are on a journey with an unknown destination, complete with an unimaginable transformation awaiting. The Mind, Heart and Body exert force and influence in their own way, along the way, but Your only job is to Exist and Experience. And finally, regarding this Journey called Your Life, it is because of You that the Others even Exist. Without your Self, the mind, heart and body vanish. And so, You are the Grain. Nurtured by others before, and destined to nurture others to come, all because of Your Existence alone!”
With new awareness, the three leave the Nagual and continue their respective Journeys…… Now more ingrained in their Truth Nature…
Laughing Warrior
16JAN05
posted by:
|
Minneapolis
|
-
Re: The Peasant
Thu, January 26, 2006 - 6:56 AMSome fooood for thought, for sure. Yet i wanted to add on even further to this part:
"...but Your only job is to Exist and Experience. And finally, regarding this Journey called Your Life, it is because of You that the Others even Exist. Without your Self, the mind, heart and body vanish. And so, You are the Grain. Nurtured by others before, and destined to nurture others to come, all because of Your Existence alone!”
Job? Oh, the Nagual person is using language they can understand, right?
And but what about the idea of "only" and such things? Such sounds so conveniently religous in the dogmatic sense of the word; where religions/spiritualities subordinated to the threats (real or potential, based on lessons of history) teach followers to be passive and complacent. As tho we can never truly have power to change or evolve the imaginations we find ourselves in.
So on the one hand, existing and experiencing makes sense to me--especially in truly impossible situations. And perhaps the ancient (?) wisdom of the Nagual is speaking originally from such a context. Of natives (?) being overrun by open warfare (of all sorts), and thus a counseling to avoid the fate of that day. Yet what of now, right now, when we still have much/many openings to influence this world----IF we *believe*/imagine such! If we perceive our powers! If we dare to imagine realities which we have not been taught--realities we have largely forgotten as colonized peoples--us all descendents of tribes from different Earth sides!
But the "conventional" wisdom says we are powerless and we follow along; we know little else, after all, except in permitted capacities. Like those the short story touches on.
So how about thinking this through more? -
-
Re: The Peasant
Thu, January 26, 2006 - 5:23 PM"So how about thinking this through more? "
I guess that might imply that I thought it through (at least some) the first time. Since it was written from the heart, that didn't happen.
The message I see is not that we are powerless and at the mercy of other forces - dogmatic or otherwise. It is simply that 'just being' is more powerful than all the perceived 'doings' combined. All the 'thinking it through' and doing doing is impressive and sometimes precedes great events, but that is all opportune choice, not a 'job' .
Life is a Dream
LW -
-
Re: The Peasant
Tue, April 18, 2006 - 3:18 PMi believe that when you are not thinking and calculating your next sentence you are being much more open to the truth. there for I think your story has much to teach us,even past the obvious lessons,
-
Re: The Peasant
Thu, May 11, 2006 - 11:14 PMi agree with heart, yet we have mind, and it is not there for "no reason"; so i like to speak intuitively as well, yet i also see value in *thinking things through* carefully.
i have heard this before about "just being"; the buddhists are into that kind of thing, yet i say in what context? Buddha was into this passive way of being yet the context i think was that he and his people were under colonial rule or at least continual attack by either invading outsiders forcing their will, or the organization of "civilization" from the severely alienated interests of rulers within.
i really have a hard time with this promotion of passivity, especially as one who is under attack and can be expected to be under attack. i live in the extreme margins of society, and i have to deal with the reality that the soldiers called police can come anytime and make something up if they feel like it and perpetuate the war that they are steeped in themselves. i'm simplifying things here, yes, but i think this is an important simplification nevertheless.
Here we are, still potentially able/capable of having input into "our country" (which incidentally, in the u.s.a. is the most illegally aggressive nation in the world), perhaps inspiring a different outcome than the armageddon which so many seem hell-bent on birthing; we have the imagination and the "privilege" of being born within this concept called "our country", so what is the value of becoming passive, of letting the severely alienated (the designers and implementers of killing, maiming, torturing) continue to run virtually unchallenged, unbridged to?
i'm really finding it strange that so many "well educated" folks are buying into this passivism. Surely there's more than meets the eye with it. And, yes, to an extent, i see the value of the idea that "life is a dream"; if i find myself being tortured or in a situation i can do nothing about, the insights of passivism, of "just being" can be excelling. Yet between that insanity and where i am now, i think there is a helluva lot of room for untried imagination. Hell, i've been experimenting and have found TONS OF ROOM for possibility. And, yes, i *live* my imagination as much as i can and dare!
-
-
