There are those among us who, when given a choice, always
take the easy path, and there are those who always take the steepest. For most
of us it is not always so simple. Many of us wish growth and pursue it when
it’s easy. Some take the steeper path until we are driven off it by our fears
and insecurities, and, if we are lucky, find our way back. A few will push
ahead come what may. On the other side of the bell curve there are probably an
equal number who usually move toward the path of comfort and ease.
The steep path can lead to growth and evolution, but can be
perilous, and it is possible to fall by the wayside, but the reward for those
who make it has been described as “All of the arrows of the enemy turn to
flowers (Buddha)”, or the warrior’s path
of the Vikings. (If there is no fear at the moment of death, one goes straight
to Valhalla (Jimi Hendrix), for it is our fear which keeps us separate from the
oneness of all things.
It has been said the easy path can incur stagnation and
repetition of dysfunctional patterns again and again. But who is to say which
is right for you but you yourself? For there is always available the short
path, and one can always find enlightenment at any turn in either path. “If a
fool were to persist in his folly he would become wise” (W B Yeats). Indeed, if
one still has business in the marketplace, perhaps one should go and get it
done, so one can then move forward.
The Monk and the Hot
Dog Vendor,
a parable from the Buddhist tradition.
A Buddhist monk was in New York City, and was walking
through Central Park when he saw a hot dog vendor. He was hungry and the hot
dogs smelled good, so he walked over to purchase one.
The vendor asked what he wanted, and the monk said “Make me
one with everything.” The vendor gave him a dog with ketchup, mustard,
sauerkraut, and so on. The monk then took out his wallet to pay for the hot dog
and saw that he had no small bills, only a twenty dollar bill, which he gave to
the vendor. Then he waited. After a while, even a monk can become impatient. He
waited some more. Finally he said “Where’s my change?” To which the hot dog
vendor replied: “Change comes from within.”
Blessings to All,
Daniel
