 Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand and each child defended his castle and said, this one is mine. They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose. When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else's castle and completely destroyed it. The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child's hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, he has spoiled my castle, come along all of you and helped me to punish him as he deserves. The others all came to his help. They beat the child with a stick and then stamped on him as he lay on the ground. Then they went on playing in their sand castles, each saying, this is mine, no one else may have it, keep away, don't touch my castle. But evening came and it was getting dark and they all thought they ought to be going home. No one now cared what became of his castle. One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. Then they turned away and went back, each to his home. I feel like this story truly articulates the way that we as humans live our lives on earth. We were born and so we build up ourselves based on material goods. We put up walls and say, this is my stuff and nobody is allowed to have it but me. We safeguard everything and share next to nothing. When we run out of time, we return home. We kick over all of our toys, they didn't really mean anything anyway, and then return back to our home again until the next time, when we incarnate again and do the whole thing over again. However, we are changing. In the coming years, as the world collapses, we are going to be faced with many opportunities and choices. Will we choose to give and share in love with everyone around us? Or will we continue to struggle to survive on a model based on greed and separation? The choice is yours, yes, you. As you go about your day, try to look for opportunities to share. Give your time and energy to others and they will return your love with more love, a continuous cycle of growth and love that is fueled by incredible experiences and feeling good. You have the ability to change the world, and all you have to do is take that first step. Be the light. Namaste. The Parable of the Loot. Once the Buddha was living on a mountain called Vulture Peak. During this time, the wise Sona lived alone in the cool forest. This thought occurred to Sona. I am an energetic student of Buddha, yet my mind has not found freedom. Now Buddha on the mountain perceived this thought that Sona had and left Vulture Peak. Incredibly quickly, he appeared to Sona in the cool forest and said, Sona, did you just have the thought I am an energetic student of Buddha, yet my mind has not found freedom? Yes, Buddha. Buddha replied, and tell me, Sona, when the strings of your loot were too tight, was then your loot tuneful and easily playable? Certainly not, Buddha. And when the strings of the loot were too loose, was then your loot tuneful and easily playable? Of course not, Buddha. But Sona, when your loot was not too tight nor too loose but adjusted to the perfect pitch, did your loot have a wonderful sound and was it easily playable? Certainly, Buddha. Similarly, Sona, if energy is applied too strongly, it will lead to rustlessness. And if energy is too loose, it will lead to weariness. Therefore, Sona, keep your energy in balance and balance the spiritual aspects, and in this way, focus your attention. Yes, Buddha. Afterwards, Sona kept his energy balanced, balancing his spiritual nature, and in this way, focused his attention. Sona, living alone and secluded, diligent and resolute, soon realized here and now his own direct knowledge of the perfect life. This parable says it all, and it's a great way of understanding your personal energy flow and how it applies to all your life, in all aspects. If you become too relaxed, like a loot string that has not been tuned, and will flow in a state of mental weariness, if you are wound too tight, you become restless and very prone to snapping. You must keep your own bodily systems in harmony with the vibrations of your soul. Consider that everything in the universe is a waveform, a vibration, so the energy in your own body and the focus that you put into things will also either be too loose, too tight, or just right. This especially applies to everyone who is going to school or at work. If you wind yourself too tight, you will become stressed beyond measure. Then what happens? You go home and unwind and become way too loose. You go back and forth between being too tight and too loose, and very rarely do you tune yourself to that perfect frequency. In today's society, we like to blame the work on making us too tight or the TV that makes us too loose. But the reality is that we are our own tuners and we have to take responsibility for how we resonate with the world around us. By tuning yourself to the right place, you can be in a perfect, harmonious state all the time, guaranteed. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. He says he's a great stretch of water, the near bank with dangers and fears. The farther bank's secure and without fears. But there is neither a boat for crossing over nor a bridge across. It occurs to him that to cross over from the perils of this bank to the security of the farther bank, he should fashion a raft out of sticks and branches and depending on the raft, cross over to safety. What do you think, monks, that the man is doing what should be done to the raft? What should that man do, monks? When he has crossed over to the beyond, he must leave that raft and proceed on his journey. Monks, a man doing this would be doing what should be done to the raft. In this way, I have taught you dharma, like the parable of the raft, forgetting a cross, not for retaining. You, monks, by understanding the parable of the raft, must not cling to right states of mind and, all the more, to wrong states of mind. Think of the way the river was set up. The side that was right in front of the man was dangerous and scary, and the other side was peaceful and calm. Now think about the obstacles right in front of us on our day-to-day lives. You can see the problem, the harsh side of the river, and you can see where you want to get to, the calm, other side. The boat is what the man manifested to cross the river, but once his problem was solved, he no longer needed it. This story really shows an incredible way of life. The experience lies in the getting across, not in the retaining. Remember the first story with the children and their sandcastles? Well, that story showed how we get things for ourselves and then hold onto them until we die, rarely ever giving things away. Today's parable shows us how it's not about holding onto our possessions, but just using what we need to get where we need to go, going with our flow. When you are done with something, learn to be free to give it up, because it does not serve you anymore. There is no reason to hold onto it, but that does not mean that it is useless. There will always be others that may find objects of value for a time, until they are also ready to move on and leave it for another. It's an endless cycle of giving. Namaste. See you next time. Namaste. See you next time. The Parable of Good or Bad There is a story of a Chinese farmer whose horse ran off. When his neighbor came to console him, the farmer said, Who knows what's good or bad? When his horse returned the next day with a herd of horses following her, the foolish neighbor came to congratulate him on his good fortune. Who knows what's good or bad? Said the farmer. Then when the farmer's son broke his leg trying to ride one of the new horses, the foolish neighbor came to console him again. Who knows what's good or bad? Said the wise farmer. When the army passed through, conscripting men for war, they passed over the farmer's son because of his broken leg. When the foolish man came to congratulate the farmer that his son would be spared, again the wise farmer said, Who knows what's good or bad? What is good and what is bad? Both of these things are merely perceptions, viewpoints from the mind, as neither good nor bad truly exists. They are duality. But when you step back and look at everything from a complete whole perspective, you realize that there is no good or bad. There just is. Everything just is, regardless of how you feel about it. The villains in movies don't necessarily always think that they're bad guys. They think that what they're doing is right for them. So just as you go about your own lives, try not to judge the events that befall you as good or bad. But try and see them just as they are, events, and go with the flow, trusting that you are guiding yourself exactly as you need to because that's how you're guiding yourself. The Parable of the Two Monks Two monks must cross the Great River to reach the village on an errand for the monastery. When they approach the river, a woman is struggling to cross. One of the monks swiftly picks her up, carries her across the river, and places her on the other shore. For monks, even being in the presence of a woman is forbidden. After several miles, the other monk bursts forth. How could you do such a thing? How could you touch a woman? Replied the other monk, I put that woman down miles ago, but you are still carrying her. I like this one, and it actually syncs up with several of the previous parables. If you are mentally holding onto something, it can put a strain on you if you let it dwell, winding it around your mental consciousness until it can even drive you mad. The easiest way to rid yourself of these mental strains is simply to let go, take a deep breath, breathe it all in. As you exhale, let it go. Whatever it may be, just release it from your mind, and once again move into a state of mental clarity. I think we have time for one more. I agree. How about this one? Oh, I like that one! An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the crack pot always arrived only half full. For a full two years, this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. I'm ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. The old woman smiled. Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house. We'll let you think on this one. Namaste. The parable of the 84th problem. A man once came to see the Buddha to get help with his problems. After the man had told the Buddha one of his problems and asked for help, the Buddha replied, I cannot help you get rid of that problem. The man was surprised that Buddha could not help him in this regard, but he told the Buddha about another problem. He thought to himself that the Buddha should at least be able to help him with that problem. But the Buddha told him, I cannot help you with that problem either. The man started to get impatient. He said, how could it be that you are the perfectly enlightened Buddha and you can't even help people get rid of their problems? The Buddha answered, You will always have 83 problems in your life. Sometimes a problem will go, but then another problem will come. I cannot help you with that. The baffled man asked the Buddha, but what can you help me with then? The Buddha replied, I can help you get rid of your 84th problem. The man asked, but what is my 84th problem? The Buddha replied, that you want to get rid of your 83 problems. I feel this parable is important for everyone who is struggling with their own individual problems of today. The Buddha tells the man that there are always going to be plenty of problems that exist in your life and that solving each and every one are not the most important thing in growing consciously and spiritually. The key is not in solving the problems individually, but rather the whole of the problems. In the last patch parable, we looked at good and bad and seeing things just as they are. Try and see all of the problems in your own life as they are in the moment rather than individually working through each and every one of them. As your perception of them changes, the problems themselves change as well. The world that you experience is a mirror of your own consciousness. What you put out is what you will see back always. By putting out strain and misfortune on all of your problems, you will continue to experience those problems exactly as you are perceiving them. By shifting perspective and moving your awareness into a new, more thriving and healthy light, your problems can fade away as new, brighter realities take their place. Namaste. The Parable of the Stonecutter. There was once a stonecutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life. One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house and through the open gateway saw many fine possessions and important visitors. How powerful that merchant must be, thought the stonecutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon, a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. How powerful that official is, he thought. I wish that I could be a high official. Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. How powerful the sun is, he thought. I wish that I could be the sun. Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. How powerful that storm cloud is, he thought. I wish I could be a cloud. Then he became that cloud, flooding the fields and villages shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force and realized it was the wind. How powerful it is, he thought. I wish I could be the wind. Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move. No matter how forcefully he blew against it, a huge towering stone. How powerful that stone is, he thought. I wish I could be a stone. Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into solid rock and felt himself being changed. What could be more powerful than I, the stone? He thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter. I think the message of this parable is that you are already perfect in a state of perfection. No matter how great, famous, wealthier powerful you seek to become, you are already everything you need yourself to be right now. Who are you going to be five seconds from now? That choice is completely up to you. The key is becoming aware of your own divinity and knowing what you wanna do with it. Namaste. Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river, the current of the river swept silently over them all, young and old, rich and poor, good and evil. The current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self. Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom for clinging was their way of life and resisting the current what each had learned from birth. But one creature said at last, I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it's going. I shall let go and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom. The other creatures laughed and said, Fool, let go and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed against the rocks and you will die quicker than boredom. But the one heeded them not and taking a breath did let go and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current against the rocks. Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom and he was bruised and hurt no more. And the creature's downstream to whom he was a stranger cried, see a miracle, a creature like ourselves, yet he flies. See the Messiah come to save us all. And the one carried in the current said, I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free if only we dare to go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure. But they cried the more savior all the while clinging to the rocks and when they looked again, he was gone and they were left alone making legends of a savior. There's a saying from Jesus who shares that we ourselves have been given the power to tread down the darkness. And in that, there's a sense that we give power to what we believe in, both through positive and negative reinforcement. And also how the beliefs that we hold shape the lives that we have. You see, for most of these critters, they exist within a paradigm of fighting against the flow of the river. They only know one aspect, one way of life which is ultimately very limiting for them in terms of what they're capable of knowing and experiencing. This story then speaks to the different paradigms of being and what it takes to move beyond our own limitations. For us, putting up resistance to the natural course of flow will only ever tire us out and drain us until we can't go on anymore. But if, however, we take the chance and let go of our attachments to circumstances or literally in this case, we may go through hardships initially, sure. But in the end, we will still come out flying higher than we ever thought possible. It is reminiscent of the video by Steve Harvey. You gotta jump to be successful. Saying that it takes a leap of faith in order for us to truly live the life of our dreams. Looking deeper, this parable also speaks to our glorification of others' deeds. As the enlightened one in the parable points out, he is no different than anyone else. He simply had a different way of looking at life. Yet the others were not even capable of comprehending what he was saying. Like Bruce Lee described, it is like the finger pointing to the moon. Don't focus on the finger or you'll miss all of the heavenly glory. In this parable, the bottom dwellers were focused on the finger, the floating guy himself, rather than what his message truly was. This is also reminiscent of Jesus, who said, he that believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do. Saying that we all have the capacity within us for the greatness that Jesus beheld. Sometimes though, as we are taught ingrained power structures from past so solidly by our parents and grandparents, it seems crazy to shake things up. And when someone does, they can appear to be some great figure when in actuality, they simply see things from a different perspective. This kind of thing happens in mythology all the time, where seemingly ordinary people who do extraordinary things for their time are turned into legends over many years into the future. The other creatures who don't personally know that floating one thinks he's some kind of Messiah only because they have not seen his journey to get where he is. If they had seen him being beaten against the rocks rather than the end product, would they still feel the same? Would they even try it themselves? In the end, we should remember that necessity is the mother of invention. And sometimes all we need to do to elevate ourselves is truly listen to the messages that are given to us. Listen deeper than making up our own ideas about what something means, asking bigger questions. And most of all, take action when we are compelled. We must follow in the story and take action to live our dreams. And if we can do that, anything becomes possible.