Re: Enlightenment -- Christopher Ford, Amateur Paranormalist

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Date Posted: 13:50:19 04/29/02 Mon
Author: TechnoAtheist
Subject: Re: Enlightenment
In reply to: ~Steve-o 's message, "Enlightenment" on 22:03:41 04/28/02 Sun

>A man who had lost his family and his home in a
>terrible mud slide made a journey of many days to a
>buddhist temple to speak with the master. He said,
>"Teacher, tell me, why do good people meet with bad
>fortune?"
>
>The master replied, "Good fortune, bad fortune, who
>can tell? Once, there was a boy, his father's only
>son, and his father owned a great farm. One day, the
>boy was out riding a horse when he was thrown, and his
>leg was broken.
>
>He cried to the gods, 'Why? I can not help my father
>on the farm if I have a bad leg! Why did this terrible
>fortune happen to us?'
>
>The boy was devastated. But, not long after, war broke
>out with a neighboring village. All the young men of
>the village were required to fight. But the boy with
>the bad leg, he could not fight. All the young men
>were killed; but the boy with the bad leg, he was not
>killed.
>
>But he was still a whiney bastard so the gods killed
>him anyway."
>
>The man was enlightened.

A man had traveled an uncertain road for many months before finally going to the wisest elder. He begged the old man to give him what he sought. The old man dismissed the young man again and again saying that what the young man sought was difficult to acquire, nearly impossible to recognize and would only make him angry.

Still, the young man asked again, pleading with the elder. At long last, the old man relented and told the young man what he must do. The old man scoffed they young one saying that youth did not have the stomach or strength of will, but the young man vowed that he would succeed.

The young man set on his long journey and met great trials along the way which tested his strength. He faced many puzzles which tested his wisdom. But with each test his determination grew stronger.

Time wore on, and soon the young man found what he sought. He stood before an ancient alter that held an ant, a lamp, and a sprig of wintergreen, and recognized them for what they are.

The young man headed back to the village, to kill the old man.

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Replies:

Re: Enlightenment -- ~Steve-o, 16:16:54 04/29/02 Mon
- Re: Enlightenment -- TechnoAtheist, 19:19:47 04/29/02 Mon
  - Re: Enlightenment -- ~Steve-o, 22:46:39 04/29/02 Mon