All of the major religions in the world are based on the idea that there is a higher power, and that we are each born with the ability to somehow connect with it. Their teachings are designed to inspire us and instruct our efforts, and they all rely on storytelling to help illustrate their deeper meanings. 

          Among the many stories I’ve encountered, there have been two that have remained especially meaningful to me over the years.

          The first one is a lovely tale of simplicity and it begins when a bright and intelligent disciple of Buddha asked if his younger brother could join the order.

The order trained monks in various studies and practices so they might eventually attain the state of Enlightenment, a refined consciousness that transcends ordinary understanding. Buddha happily agreed to accept the young student.

           But, as the younger brother began his studies, although he was kind and gentle and diligently performed his basic chores, he turned out to be rather dull-witted. He kept trying to apply himself, but he could understand nothing of the teachings. And after a while, he asked to go home so that he wouldn’t waste the Buddha’s time or let down his brother.

          “There’s no need for you to give up,” said the Buddha.  “You should not abandon your search for liberation just because you are confused about the teachings. Forget about the philosophies that you’ve been given. I will give you a mantra instead, and just practice repeating that.”

          A mantra is phrase that is used to bring the mind into a state of concentration and ultimately gain enlightenment through mediation.  Buddha gave the young monk a simple, one-sentence mantra and sent him away affectionately.

          But soon the monk came back, this time he even more humiliated. “My beloved Buddha, I can’t remember the mantra you gave me and so I can no longer practice.”

          The Buddha kindly repeated it for him.  But twice more he came back, having forgotten it each time.  So, the Buddha gave him a simplified form.  “It’s just two syllables,” he told him with a smile. “See if you can remember that.”

          But he couldn’t, Even the two simple syllables were too hard for him to retain.  Alone in his hut, he broke down and wept.  His brother heard about it and furious that his own reputation was being sullied, he came and demanded that the young monk depart immediately and go home.

          So, the boy left. He had failed in everything else he had tried in his life, but this was much worse. Now, he had been instructed by the Buddha himself and he still failed. Feeling dejected, he sadly made his way along the path.

          But as he neared a grove of trees, the Buddha suddenly emerged. When the boy explained what had happened, the Buddha smiled, took his hand and walked him to a temple where two old monks were sweeping the floor. 

          The Buddha said to them, “This young monk will live here with you from now on.  Continue your sweeping, and in rhythm with your brooms moving back and forth, say the two-syllable mantra that I will give you.”

          He gave them a two-syllable mantra and said, “Say it happily and with joy. And don’t stop until I come back.” He turned to the boy and said, “Now, just sit and listen.”

          The young monk sat down and began listening to the swishing of the brooms as the old monks repeated the mantra over and over again.  This went on for several weeks. When the Buddha finally returned, he was delighted to find that the young monk had attained the state of Complete Enlightenment. And so had the two old monks as well.

          I always find the message of this story comforting as well as inspiring.  Regardless of your limitations, the path to higher consciousness is always available, so don’t give up. Just keep going and some unexpected help may come your way. 

          The second story is on a slightly different track and originated about a thousand years before the fist. As it begins, a travelling master teacher had arrived in a village and was talking to a small group.  They were sitting on a hill overlooking a nearby river.

          As he spoke, the Master explained that human beings are able to attain a state of evolved awareness that is deeply connected the Higher Power. He went on to describe the truth, consciousness and bliss that fills this exalted state of being. It was soon obvious that he was speaking from the wisdom of his own direct experience and everyone in the group became enraptured by his talk. 

          “But there is something that can stand in your way,” He cautioned them. “It is your mind’s attachment to illusion. But the illusion isn’t about the people, places and things in your life. No. The illusion is that they’re going to last. It’s the illusion that the temporary is permanent. And this is a very powerful illusion that can distract you from your pathway home.”

          “Master, I have a question,” one young man said. “Is this illusion really all that strong?”

          “I’ll be happy to explain it to you,” the Master replied. “But my throat is getting very dry and the explanation may take some time. Please go to the river and fetch me a gourd filled with water, so I can have a drink before I go on.”

          “Certainly!” the young man said, and left immediately.

          He went to the river, selected a large gourd, cleared the seeds out, crouched down and began to fill it with water.

          “Excuse me,” he heard a woman’s voice say. He looked at the ground next to him and saw the two most beautiful feet he had ever seen. Then he looked up to see the most beautiful face he had ever seen. It was a young woman, about his age. She was lovely, but obviously in distress.

          “I need some help,” she said, urgently. “I hope you can help me.”

          “I will if I can,” he responded. “What the matter?”           “My father and I come from a village across the river. We rowed our boat over and bought some grain. But when we got back to the boat, he suddenly didn’t feel well. Now he seems too sick to row. I would try, but the current looks pretty strong and I’m not sure I can do it. Can row us across? Once we get to our village, I’ll find someone who can bring you back.”

          He glanced at the river, and confident he could do it, said, “Sure. I can help you.”

          “Oh, thank you!” she gratefully responded.  “But please, we have hurry. He’s really not well.”

          They went to the boat and got in. The woman’s father was lying across the back bench. The young man rowed across, and by the time they got to the other side, the father felt much better and insisted that the young man join the family for dinner.

          Then, as they say, one thing led to another.

          The father was quite prosperous, with a fine home, and insisted that the young man spend the night. The young man and the young woman were irresistibly attracted to each other, and in the morning, he found that he couldn’t bear to leave her. He decided to stay for a few days, which turned into a few weeks, and then into a few months.  

          The happy couple fell deeply in love and were married in a large, joyous celebration. The young man joined his father-in-law in business and soon built a nice home near the river.

          Within a few years, he had become a well-respected member of the community. And within a few more years, his wife gave birth to two children. With his wonderful family, the young man, who was now several years older, had never been happier in his life.

          Then one day without warning, as he was working in his business in the village, a terrible storm came up. He immediately rushed home to be with his wife and children.  

          The storm quickly worsened to nearly a monsoon. There was a small mountain near their home and a giant mudslide came down and blocked the road out. They were stuck. As the danger built, his only option was to take his wife and children to the river and try to cross it in their small boat.

          They started off. But halfway across, the boat was overturned by the rough current and to his horror, one of his children was washed away. He bravely took hold of his wife and remaining child and tried to swim across. But a few minutes later, another big wave hit and washed the second child out of their arms.

          His wife was so overcome that she could barely hang on to him. He held her tight and continued swimming. But as he came closer to the shore, an enormous wave struck them and washed her out of his arms and swept her downstream.

          Overcome with shock and grief, somehow his survival instinct stayed strong. With every ounce of his remaining strength, he was able to finally make it to the other side. He crawled out of the river and collapsed onto the shore.

          After a little while, the storm subsided and there was relative calm. He looked back over the river and he could still see their family home on the other side. As he lovingly gazed at the symbol of their happy life, suddenly a huge mudslide came down the mountain, destroyed the home and dragged it into the river. There was nothing left.

          Completely overcome, he turned onto his stomach, buried is face in the sand and began to sob uncontrollably from the depths of his soul.

          “What happened to you son?” he unexpectedly heard someone ask.

          He looked up and saw a man whose face seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

          “You never came back,” the stranger said.

          “What?” he responded, confused.

          “You never came back with my water. Don’t you remember? You asked me to explain the lure of illusion and I said my throat was getting dry and I asked you to go to the river and get me some water to drink?”

          The words stirred a vague memory deep in his mind, but it was out of reach and he was still completely disoriented.

          “I don’t want to be pushy, but I’m really very thirsty,” the stranger said. “That was almost ten minutes ago.”

          Suddenly, in an instantaneous flash of insight, the reality of who he was and where he was came rushing back into the young man’s mind. But it was so hard to believe that all these experiences that he’d had over all these years; they were all just some kind of mental illusion? And it had all happened in less than ten minutes? He was absolutely thoughtless and speechless.

          “You see?” the great soul asked, looking at him kindly. “It doesn’t really matter whether the events were real or imaginary. Ten years or ten minutes, either way, you experienced the truth that nothing here lasts.”

          The young man was still completely silent, overcome with a thousand emotions and realizations. 

          “If I had only explained this to you, it would have just been just a bunch of words, with nothing behind them,” the Master said.  “But now, after your trip to the river, they mean something to you, because real or not, you actually lived through them. Now they’re part of your experience and you know the meaning behind the words.  And your knowledge will inspire you to find your way back to your real home.”

          It’s quite a transformative story, and the idea of impermanence always had a deep effect on me in my younger years. Now I’ve seen that all you really have to do is live long enough and sooner or later, you’ll get the point that nothing here lasts.

          Luckily, impermanence has a powerfully positive side to it as well.  It helps us value the present, enjoy the life we have, and it brings a deeper sense of gratitude into our hearts. These are terrific gifts, and they’re just for starters.  

          So, with these two stories, I find it empowering to understand that the temporary is surrounded by the illusion of permanence, and that illusion can be overcome, leading to a more fulfilling life, no matter what happens.  

          And personally, it’s comforting to hear that the path to higher ground is so simple that even if you’re as thick as a brick, with the attention span of a common housefly, the door to the heart will always be open to you, if you simply choose to enter.

          And of course, as shown in both stories, it always helps to have a great teacher, which is true in every endeavor in life. But especially in this one. 

          Well, that’s the end of this episode. As always, keep your eyes, mind and heart opened. And let’s get together in the next one.