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 It was a long and winding road that led from the monastery down to the village. It was an old road as well, for no one knew how long the monastery had truly been there. Many feet had walked that path packing the earth hard as stone. Now two others walked that path; an old priest and his escort, an acolyte who carried the day’s purchases in a pack slung across his back. Each used a staff to help them walk, but the Youth’s was more for show than need, as were the frequent stops to rest. During one of these stops the Youth was making runnels in the dirt with his staff, and then stopped. He looked over to his Teacher, his master’s saffron robes blowing lightly in the wind beneath the small stand of alpine oak trees. “Holy One, may I ask you of something that has long been bothering me?” With a short laugh the old priest said “I would be surprised if you did not. Ask your question.” The Student stopped a moment to phrase his question, then said “Holy One, I have had many lessons on how God works, and why God works, but I have had no one tell me what God is.” The Teacher pulled his legs up closer and thought for a moment. After a while he stood and reached up to the canopy above and pulled a leaf loose. “What do you see here?” he said passing the leaf to the Student. “A leaf.” The look on the Teacher’s face told him that wasn’t a complete answer. “With a stem that holds it to the tree, and the stem goes into the leaf and splits up. There are the pieces of green that grow between the stems “ “What is it that that makes that leaf so important?” “Well,” the Youth started, trying to see deeper into the leaf. “It is part of a tree, and trees are important. They are our elders in many ways.” “What does that leaf have in common with you? With the squirrel in the tree? With the bug that crawls on your leg?” “That they are all alive?” “Yes,” the old man “and so is the skin on my hand and the hair on your head ... so is the hawk in the sky and the smallest worm on the ground. That is God.” His spear was digging into the ground hard by now, but the Student was puzzled “How could this be? How can all these things be God?” “The answer” smiled the old man “is found simply by looking … and when you know where to look you will know what to look for.” Slowly the dawning of understanding came on the Student’s face and he said aloud “If God needed a name, then that name would be Life.” The monk said “The sun is still behind us, we should go.” And stood to resume the walk up to the monastery. And so the boy was enlightened. |
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