parable

Thankful Thursday: Light on writing


Lotus blossom in The Fountain of the Four Evangelists (Mission San Juan Capistrano) 
"Consider the wizened man in India," my yoga teacher said last night. "Day after day, he spends long hours chopping tree bark into tiny pieces, so as to extract its essential oils. The work is arduous, but the old man doesn't suffer. With oiled muscles loose and fluid, he invites the axe to do its work."

Thank you, Megan Lurie McCarver, for this beautiful parable. It's a glowing candle at my writing desk, gently guiding me forward. 

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Wolf at the door

 
I came across this Native American parable yesterday–not once, but twice! Coincidence? Perhaps. Or maybe the universe is offering me another lesson.

An old Ojibwe* is teaching his grandson about life.

He tells the boy, "A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible battle between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, regret, greed, false-humility, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, pride, and ego. The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, my son…and inside every other person."

The boy reflects quietly for a moment. Then he asks, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Ojibwe answers, "The one you feed."

*Most online sources atrribute this story to the Ojibwe, but some cite the Cherokee or the Chippewa. I regret that I’m unable to trace it back to the original storyteller, but I honor his/her timeless wisdom.