The Freedom of Man

According to a legend…..there was once a time when all human beings were unconditionally free from the prison of the mind, but they so abused their freedom that the gods decided to take it away from them and hide it where it could never be found.

The question was where to hide their freedom……

So the Chief God called a council of the gods to help him decide. “Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said the gods. But the Chief God answered, “No, that will not do because humans will dig into the earth and find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.” But the Chief God said, “No, not there, for they will learn to dive into the ocean and will find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there.” But once again the Chief God replied, “No, that will not do either, because they will eventually climb every mountain and once again take up their divinity.”

Then the gods gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it, because it seems that there is no place on earth or in the sea that human beings will not eventually reach.”

The Chief God thought for a long time and then said, “Here is what we will do. We will hide their freedom deep in the center of their own being, for humans will never think to look for it there.”

All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. And since that time humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing, and exploring -searching for something already within themselves.

The beggar on the wooden box

A beggar was sitting by the road side at the entrance to a village. He had been sitting there for 30 years.

A stranger walk peacefully towards the village entrance, stops and gazes at the beggar. The beggar asks, “Do you have spare change?” . The stranger responds: “I have nothing to give you, but what is that you are sitting on?”

The beggar says, “It’s an old wooden box…. I have had it as long as I remember

“Ever looked inside?”, the stranger replied.

What’s the point…there is nothing in it.”

”Take a look”, the stranger says.

The beggar hesitates but after a while he manages to open the lid. With disbelief and astonishment he sees that the box is filled with gold.

Point: We are all sitting on a box of gold, but we all remain beggars (no matter how materially rich we are) as long as we have not opened the door to inner freedom – or enlightenment.