The Tale of the Sands
21 February 1978 am in Buddha Hall
A STREAM, FROM ITS SOURCE IN FAR-OFF MOUNTAINS, PASSING THROUGH EVERY KIND
AND DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRYSIDE, AT LAST REACHED THE SANDS OF THE DESERT.
JUST AS IT HAD CROSSED EVERY OTHER BARRIER, THE STREAM TRIED TO CROSS THIS
ONE, BUT IT FOUND AS IT RAN INTO THE SAND, ITS WATERS DISAPPEARED.
IT WAS CONVINCED, HOWEVER, THAT ITS DESTINY WAS TO CROSS THIS DESERT, AND
YET THERE WAS NO WAY. NOW A HIDDEN VOICE, COMING FROM THE DESERT ITSELF,
WHISPERED, ”THE WIND CROSSES THE DESERT, AND SO CAN THE STREAM.”
THE STREAM OBJECTED THAT IT WAS DASHING ITSELF AGAINST THE SAND, AND ONLY
GETTING ABSORBED; THAT THE WIND COULD FLY AND THIS WAS WHY IT COULD CROSS
A DESERT.
”BY HURTLING IN YOUR OWN ACCUSTOMED WAY YOU CANNOT GET ACROSS. YOU WILL
EITHER DISAPPEAR OR BECOME A MARSH. YOU MUST ALLOW THE WIND TO CARRY YOU
OVER TO YOUR DESTINATION.”
”BUT HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?”
”BY ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE ABSORBED IN THE WIND.”
THIS IDEA WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE STREAM. AFTER ALL, IT HAD NEVER BEEN
ABSORBED BEFORE. IT DID NOT WANT TO LOSE ITS INDIVIDUALITY. AND ONCE HAVING
LOST IT, HOW WAS IT TO KNOW THAT IT COULD EVER BE REGAINED?
”THE WIND,” SAID THE SAND, ”PERFORMS THIS FUNCTION. IT TAKES UP WATER, CARRIES
IT OVER THE DESERT, AND THEN LETS IT FALL AGAIN. FALLING AS RAIN, THEWATER AGAIN
BECOMES A RIVER.”
”HOW CAN I KNOW THAT THIS IS TRUE?”
”IT IS SO, AND IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IT, YOU CANNOT BECOME MORE THAN A
QUAGMIRE, AND EVEN THAT COULD TAKE MANY, MANY YEARS; AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT
THE SAME AS A STREAM.”
”BUT CAN I NOT REMAIN THE SAME STREAM THAT I AM TODAY?”
”YOU CANNOT IN EITHER CASE REMAIN SO,” THE WHISPER SAID. ”YOUR ESSENTIAL PART
IS CARRIED AWAY AND FORMS A STREAM AGAIN. YOU ARE CALLED WHAT YOU ARE EVEN
TODAY BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHICH PART OF YOU IS THE ESSENTIAL ONE.”
WHEN HE HEARD THIS, CERTAIN ECHOES BEGAN TO ARISE IN THE THOUGHTS OF THE
STREAM. DIMLY, HE REMEMBERED A STATE IN WHICH HE – OR SOME PART OF HIM, WAS
IT? – HAD BEEN HELD IN THE ARMS OF A WIND. HE ALSO REMEMBERED – OR DID HE? –
THAT THIS WAS THE REAL THING, NOT NECESSARILY THE OBVIOUS THING TO DO.
AND THE STREAM RAISED HIS VAPOR INTO THE WELCOMING ARMS OF THE WIND, WHICH
GENTLY AND EASILY BORE IT UPWARDS AND ALONG, LETTING IT FALL SOFTLY AS SOON
AS THEY REACHED THE ROOF OF A MOUNTAIN, MANY, MANY MILES AWAY.
AND BECAUSE HE HAD HAD HIS DOUBTS, THE STREAM WAS ABLE TO REMEMBER AND
RECORD MORE STRONGLY IN HIS MIND THE DETAILS OF THE EXPERIENCE.
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