Wisdom And Reality
An old wise man was sitting peacefully beside a lake when he heard the excited tones of a young man shouting...
"I have learnt to walk on water!"
Rushing excitedly over to the old man, smiling broadly... he said...
"I have learnt to walk on water!"
The old wise man was not moved.
Rising one hand with a slow grace... he pointed towards the lake and looking the young man directly in his eyes... spoke softly...
"Why?"
"When there is a perfectly good boat there!"
"Do you really "believe" you can walk on water?"
"I tried and sunk every time, until I understood the "truth" that I am not a duck. I am a Man... I cannot walk on water!"
"That is why I built a boat so I can float and cross water, and "observe" and "understand what is there."
"You were fooled by the beliefs in your mind, see the "truth" of what is really there... not what you believe is there?"
"Let me "See" you walk on water?"
And the old wise man sat silent... unmoved... peacefully looking across the lake.
The young man now shaken to his core, and with Ernest honesty in his eyes spoke...
"I truly believed I could walk on water. I could see it in my mind."
There was silence.
Then the wise old man spoke...
"We are all born innocents... then turned into fools... filled with the illusions of beliefs and no-sense... and even a fool can wake up and seek the truth of what is real... what is really there!"
They both sat there in silence.
Eventually the young man spoke...
"Old Man, will you teach me how to use your boat?"
The wise old man smiled softly.
Speaking gently he replied...
"Yes... now you are learning... first you must learn how to swim... so you can leave the boat and go further."
"And you will "grow" to be more than what I am!"
Ange Fonce
