tall tale

there's an excellent story i read once in one of joseph campbell's books about a young man looking to feel the existence of god. i can't quote for you exactly the source or even the story the way it is exactly told, but i'll paraphrase.

a young man went to his guru and said "where is god?"

the guru said "god is everywhere and everyone"

the young man asked "so then am i god?"

and the guru said yes

"are those trees over there god?"

and the guru said yes

"so if everything is god, then why are there wars and battles? why isn't everyone in constant communication with one another?"

and the guru said "because no one is aware that everything and everyone is god"

the guru then encouraged the young man to go out into the world and practice what he had learned. he told the young man that if he was constantly aware that god was everywhere and everyone then he would never know harm.

the young man, following his guru's teachings and advice, sent out into the jungle.

as he walked he focused on everything around him, noting that the trees, the grass, the sky and even the snakes on the ground were god.

just then a wild elephant started charging toward him. he was initially panicked until he remembered what the guru had told him.

"that elephant is god, and so am i" he thought "i just need to be aware and he will not trample me"

as the elephant neared and he focused on what he had learned, the man on top of the elephant shouted out "watch out! this elephant has gone crazy! he will trample you if you don't move"

the young man stood steady knowing that the elephant was god and having no fear because of it.

again the man yelled to him but the young man would not move.

as the elephant reached him he was knocked to the ground and almost killed. the young man was fearful, afraid and angry at his guru.

when he went back and questioned the guru, he shouted:

"you told me i was god and so was everything. i believed you and i tried to be at one with the elephant, who was also god, so he wouldn't trample me. instead i almost got killed! why did you lie to me?"

the guru sat back smugly and said "i did not lie"

so the young man asked "so the elephant was god?"

yes said the guru

"but i waited and was aware and he still almost killed me"

"you did not fully comprehend all that i had said" explained the guru "didn't i tell you that everyone and everything is god?"

yes said the young man

"then why didn't you listen to the man telling you to watch out"

2004-06-19, 11:17 p.m.
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