As I moved across the boundaries light grew
and grew....and I found out more clearly that there were two distinct ways of acquiring
wisdom and knowledge; and the following short story is an allegory of these two
different ways that we receive it. This allegory was written at the height of a
period in my life when I discovered the absolute joy of learning and receiving
everything by trusting in the spirit alone.
Later, I found out, also, that this story
had a strange effect on some people; and I saw that to reduce the offence, further wisdom was needed in order to understand the legitimate place that the other way of learning had. And so after
a period of dying to all I knew, another story was given to me. This
second allegory – A CIRCLE OF
SWIFT SONGS – follows on in the next post on this site.
*
To the Garden Returned
WAY BACK IN TIME, BEFORE THE DAWN OF FIRST
MEMORY there existed a most beautiful garden with a river of light flowing
through it which watered it. The garden was planted in an unknown pleasant
land, filled with all kinds of trees and herbs, shrubs and flowers. Trees whose
fruit was good for food, plants whose structure and beauty was good for the illumining
of the mind, and flowers so infused with visionary fragrance they would uplift the
soul and fill it with joy. It was a glorious paradise of bliss and innocence, comfort
and warmth, and all pervading delight. Its inhabitants lived and moved freely
in the garden, drinking from its pools, and caring for its flora and fauna, and
learning much from its many wonders. But upon the rise of an exceptionally beautiful
morning a seemingly small choice was made by these inhabitants beside one of
the pools of water. They drank from the only one which had been forbidden them which
drinking from brought an end to innocence and the decline of the garden and its
fall into ruins. These inhabitants were soon driven from the garden and out into
the wilderness. From then on the garden could no longer exist upon the Earth;
but only within the spiritual heavenly hearts of those who lived a life of love
and who grieved over their just banishment.
But, once again, in this inner garden where young
ones played there were pools of water. One of which, if they should drink from
would bring them blindness, aging, and banishment from the centre of the garden,
and an existence of lifeless delusion in its outskirts. And, as before, this dreadful
pool was exceedingly beautiful, and truly desirable to give one, wisdom and
knowledge and the delight of knowing for oneself. Those children of Love which drank
from this pool existed in the outer edges of the garden, blind to their
exclusion from its centre, for they had no idea of their true condition, or where
they were. The interaction between the youngest children in the centre of the
garden and the older ones in its edges was fraught with difficulty, for they
could not recognize one another: the thick curtain encircling the centre of the
garden a barrier through which they could not understand each other.
*
A new butterfly had appeared in the midst of the garden. It had never
been seen before; although there was rumour of it having been known long ago.
The sight of its silvery wings shimmering in the early morning sunlight brought
gasps of delight to the children; and they danced in the middle of the garden
like butterflies themselves newly escaped of their cocoon! Tender hearts overflowed
with boundless joy!
The butterfly alighted upon the shoulder of one of the smallest children
then flew onto his hand. The child remained perfectly still, lying in the grass
his feet dipped in the flowing stream. Rewarded for his stillness, time melted
away as he gazed and gazed upon the glorious butterfly, pulsating with life and
light on his hand. It swept him up and renewed his whole being and he followed
the living butterfly whithersoever it flew.
Oh, how all the children longed to share with others this wonderful new
life and liberty which the butterfly had brought them!
Then some of the older children reasoned amongst themselves as to how
they should do this. They came to the conclusion, that if they could just catch
the butterfly then they could pass it around to their friends, so that they
might all share in this glorious new joy together. Their idea seemed good to
them, so they did it.
They caught the elusive airborne butterfly dancing and shimmering in the
warm morning sunlight. They pierced it with a pin. Then they stuck it on a piece of paper. How
eagerly they anticipated the delight their friends would have when they saw the
beautiful new butterfly!
So the children laid out the pierced butterfly, decently and in order,
just as the entomology textbook had taught them. Then they carefully placed it,
in a box. They were thrilled with it! Here was proof! Now at last all their
friends (perhaps even their enemies!) would be able to study it for themselves
and learn of the glorious life of the wonderful new butterfly, and come and
join them in the garden. They passed the box around expectantly!
So shadows come and the glory fades.
While some saw nothing but a decaying, common garden ‘Cabbage White,’
and thought they had quite lost their senses ~ these lived on the outskirts of
the garden, others did see a beautiful butterfly and became fascinated with its
exquisite markings. They spent much time, and many a happy hour, examining it
with magnifying glasses, making careful notes of the detailed patterns on its
wings and then comparing them with the textbook. They uncovered many amazing
things about this new butterfly! They found exciting messages encoded in its
lovely markings, which they were most earnest and diligent to teach to one
another. Those whose interests and passions seemed similar gathered themselves
together in separate groups in the garden.
Oh, the myriads of messages as fascinating things to learn! They took
great delight in these things! With them, they were fulfilled and content;
although there never seemed to be quite enough, and their search for more was
endless!
So
shadows came and the glory faded.
Then one of the smallest children, who lived in the centre of the
garden, came and looked at the dead butterfly in the box. ‘What have you done?’
he cried, as he held the lifeless thing in his hand; and he threw it down to
the ground and wept in brokenness of heart.
*
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