Parable of THE BUTTERFLY
In 1200 AD, an older Tao Master (Daozhang) and an Initiate were returning to their monastery when they noticed several caterpillars inching their way up the stoned walls. Seeing hundreds of cocoons hanging beneath the eaves, the Initiate commented, “It is the season of the butterfly!”
“TRANSFORMATION is a beautiful thing,” replied the Master.
The Initiate, then, noticed a caterpillar beside his foot crawling in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION. To assist the caterpillar, the Initiate gently picked up the caterpillar and carefully placed it on the monastery wall. Afterwards, the Initiate smiled, believing he assisted the caterpillar along its journey. But, after several seconds, the caterpillar FELL HARD to the ground!
The Initiate immediately picked up the caterpillar again and delicately positioned it on the wall. Again, the caterpillar fell to the ground! Disturbed and confused, the Initiate reached down again, but felt a STINGING TAP on his wrists from the Masters’ cane, preventing the Initiate from repeating the error.
The Initiate stood up baffled at the caterpillar’s refusal to cling onto the wall and asked the Master, “Why won’t it stay on the wall?”
The Master commented, “It has not committed.”
“To what Master?”
“ASCENSION.”
The Initiate had a bewildered look on his face.
“To being a butterfly,” explained the Master, “When it does commit, it will find THE WILL to climb these stone walls.”
“But what will it do in the meantime?”
“Crawl,” the Master nonchalantly commented, “and risk being trampled on. Come...”
The Master led the Initiate inside the monastery. As they walked forward, the Initiate anxiously looked back with concern. The Master walked ahead of the Initiate, and without turning reflected, “Leave it be. It is too busy being a caterpillar. When it’s done being a caterpillar, it will crawl upwards and build a cocoon. Until then, it cannot conceive of FLYING… The discarding of the False Self is the same process.”
“So, Ascension is simply a decision?”
“Just like that,” the smiling Master commented nonchalantly while snapping his finger.
P.S. Perhaps, that is why those who can touch the ceiling- choose to sleep on THE FLOOR. They are the result- of decisions that have not taken root...Never making commitment a permanent home: They are those who are seen FLYING ABOVE- but still flirting BELOW! To quote Nietzsche: “Human- all too human.” Oh, I well know, (all too well), the WASTED TIME- BELOW! To know- but to act like ‘you don’t know any better.’ Yeah, I know (all too well…all too well)…
B.P.S. False Self- BE GONE! “Just like that.” 😊 SNAP! ...from the Lookout Post