[Within Silence]

Two countries were fighting over the resources of a conquered territory. The leader of one country asked to speak to his wisest advisor about the war.

“I can win this war and claim possession of those resources if I use extremely destructive weapons. I know this will cause the loss of many soldiers’ lives and also the innocent. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?” Asked the leader.

“Let’s assume the world writes up an agreement and puts it before both leaders involved in the war for resources. The agreement reads: “If you take this with your left hand, your right hand will be chopped off. If you take this with your right hand, your left hand will be chopped off. But whoever takes it will get the world. Would you take it?” Asked the sage.

“I certainly would not. I cannot get my hand back after it’s chopped off!” Said the leader.

“Great. Look at it this way then: Your two hands are more important to you than the world. Your body is even more important than your hands. Thus, the resources of another country are far less significant than the whole world, which is not even as important as your two hands. So, how can you ask your soldiers and the innocent to give up their very lives so you can posses a few resources when you’re not willing to give up even one hand for the whole world?”
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The leader was enraged when this truth dawned on him. He ordered the advisor arrested immediately and thrown into prison.

After a few weeks without food or water the leader went to see the advisor.

The advisor was sitting silently, eyes closed with a smile on his face.

“How can you be smiling when you’re in prison and have had nothing to eat or drink for days?” Asked the leader.

“What you see is the physical form behind bars and you say I am in prison. Yet, I am as free as I’ve ever been, because you cannot imprison my mind. As to the lack of food and water, if you continue to withhold them, then eventually this form will pass away, yet I will ever remain free from bondage, which is the cause for my smile.” Replied the advisor.

“What you said the other day, about me not being willing to give up even one hand when others are willing to give their very lives at my word, that hurt deeply. I thought of every possible way to refute it, to justify my actions for the war, but I cannot find a way out. Now, because of this I also cannot justify locking you up in prison or withholding food and water from you anymore. What have you done to me, I’ve never felt like this before?” Asked the leader.

“I have done nothing to you, but rather truth has convicted you and removed the callous from your heart. You now see with new eyes, the eyes of the heart instead of the eyes of the ego. At one point in my life I was nearly in the same situation as you, I was in charge of a large order of elite soldiers who worked for very rich merchants in securing the earths resources so they could sell them for profit, I could have caused many great harm just to inflate my pride and take possession of some of the riches of the earth for others to sell. But before I gave the order for the strike, I stopped and asked myself; “Which human being created the earth in that it could claim ownership of it and then sell it to another at a profit, and who am I to cause harm to others for this?” I was alarmed to realize that no human created the earth, and that we’re all guests here, thus, the earth’s resources must be all of ours to share. I realized that I was guilty of great ignorance. I was reminded of this enlightening past life experience when you asked me what I would do if I were in your shoes the other day, now you know why I said what I said to you.” Replied the sage.

“You have given me great pause in my mind, I cannot ever again think in the way I used to. And my first display of this new Way of seeing is to unlock your prison door and set you free. Thank you for this enlightenment.”

The sage bowed and went on his way.

This story above the line (------) was inspired by Livia Kohn in her book Chuang-tzu The Tao of Perfect Happiness. I took the liberty of adding and subtracting words to change the story, but the principle is the same.