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Flowers: An Anthology by Shiva

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Go For The Light

A Teacher, along with a group of his students walked up a desert gorge until they came upon an open area. The space was fairly clear except for a few small bushes that were scattered about.

In the darkness the quarter moon barely revealed a boulder that stood about four feet high on the other side of the clearing.

Instructing his students to remain quietly in line at the edge of the open space he walked across the area and placed a lighted lantern on top of the rock.

Upon returning he addressed his students, "Tonight we are going to practice the game of Enlightenment! It is a simple game. All you have to do is walk straight across and touch the base of the lantern... The rule is that you must keep your eye on the lantern at all times. If you glance away, even for a second, you must take your place at the end of the line. To give you an idea of how this is done, I will walk with each one of you across the field to the lantern as a practice run."

He then walked behind each student as they moved toward the light forcing them to keep their gaze fixed on the lantern at all times.

Once this was done he said, "One last word, let nothing keep you from the light. If there seems to be something in the way, do not look at it! Simply push it aside and keep looking at the lantern!"

"This is an individual journey," he said. "I want all of you who are waiting your turn, to turn your back and not watch."

Everyone complied and the teacher started with the first student.

As instructed, the student started his walk when suddenly someone screamed causing him to look away. He took his place at the end of the line.

The next student pushed past the distracting scream but when something brushed up against him, he glanced down. He too took his place at the end of the line.

The following student made it past the scream and the brush against his leg and was apparently doing well when something suddenly leaped toward him from behind a bush causing him to lose focus, thereby relegating him to his place at the end of the line also.

Once the students made it past the first three distractions they were then greeted by yet another distraction, this one being a woman dressed in sexy clothing and dribbling a basketball.

If they managed not to become distracted through all of this, someone would actually stand in their way, almost blocking their view of the lantern. The students would have to push that person aside while still keeping their eyes on the lighted lantern.

Throughout the night the students practiced diligently as they encountered the series of distractions their teacher had set up for them.

Finally, towards dawn, a few of the students actually made it to the rock. But, as each of them reached for the lantern, the teacher would step out from behind the rock and stand in front of them. He would smile and say, "Congratulations!"

If the student didn't push the teacher aside and keep his attention on the light, he had to return to the end of the line. Almost all the students failed this one.

Go For The Light Commentary:

To learn how to focus will and intent is an important lesson that everyone will someday have to master.

The distractions in life and of the spiritual path work together in keeping one from Enlightenment. A person must love light more than anything.

The process of failing the test of the distractions and the result of having to repeat the process causes the spiritual aspirant to eventually gain the will, control and intent necessary to achieve success.

 

 

   
       

 

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