Long ago in another time there lived a stone cutter. He spent his days toiling at the base of a towering rock, chipping away at it to produce stone for the masons to build houses. But this stone cutter was not happy; he was dissatisfied with his position in life. He thought he deserved much more. One day as he chiseled at the rock he caught sight of something glittering in the stone. After further chipping away he was amazed to find an oblong white stone embedded in there. He freed the stone and put it in his pocket. Later that day, as he was walking into town he pulled the stone from his pocket and began to study it. Its smooth surface was warm to the touch, and he began gently rubbing it as he walked. Just then, rounding a corner, he came upon a wealthy merchant’s house. Through the open gateway, he saw the merchant entertaining some important visitors. He noticed many fine possessions in the house, and he was envious of the riches the merchant possessed. “How powerful that merchant must be with all his riches!” thought the stonecutter. “I wish I could be the merchant.”
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant. Surrounded by more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, he bade goodbye to the important visitors and began wandering through his new home touching the artifacts of beauty and wealth. The white stone was still in his pocket and he realized that it must have some magical power. Full of his new station, he decided to continue into town and spend some of his newly acquired wealth. As he was traveling down the road he heard a troop of soldiers beating gongs. Soon a procession of soldiers appeared, escorting a high government official who was riding in a sedan chair carried by attendants who waited upon him solicitously. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. As he bent his head to the ground the merchant felt a pang of envy. “How powerful that official is!” he thought, reaching into his pocket for the stone. “I wish that I could be a high official!”
Instantly he became the high official, reclining back in his sedan chair and relishing the power he commanded as he was carried into town. People all around bowed down to him in fear and awe. It was a hot summer day and very soon he began to feel sweaty and uncomfortable in his sedan chair. With a frustrated glance he looked up and saw the sun. It was shining proudly in the sky without any interest in his stature or position. “How powerful the sun is beating down on everything!” he thought rubbing his stone. “I wish that I could be the sun!”
Immediately he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone. He still was holding the stone and smiled at its wondrous ability. Reveling in his new power, he began scorching the fields and drying out the plants. The peasants laboring in the heat cursed him, but he just laughed at their troubles. It wasn’t long, however, before a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth. His sunlight no longer shone down upon everything below and he felt powerless. “How powerful that storm cloud is that it can block out the sun!” he thought gripping the white stone. “I wish I could be the cloud!”
No sooner had he thought it than he became the cloud. Still gripping the white stone, he opened up and released his lightning and rain, flooding the fields. The villagers ran for cover, sloshing through the torrential downpour he was creating. But soon he found himself being pushed away by some great force. He was powerless to resist. He realized that a strong wind had come up and was effortlessly moving him. “How powerful the wind is to blow everything away!” he thought clutching the stone. “I wish that I could be the wind!”
Immediately he became the wind. Flush with the immense power he started blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, and causing havoc all around. He blew everywhere, feeling as if he were now the most powerful force. But soon he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it. It was a huge, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is. It cannot even be moved by the wind!” he thought, concentrating on the white stone. “I wish I could be that rock!”
In an instant he was the towering rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. The wind blew helplessly against him. Now he was finally the most powerful, immovable thing in existence. But just as he was thinking this he heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into his hard surface. “What could be more powerful than the rock?” he thought. Looking down the length of his towering shape he saw far below the figure of the stone cutter.
Learning to accept who we are right now is a lifelong lesson. Each one of us has a sacred core that is unique in all of existence. It is very easy to get distracted by the yearning for something we don’t have. Very often we live with the thought that things will get better if only we can get through this or achieve that. But when we actually do get to that point something else appears on the horizon for us to look towards. Acceptance of the self in the present moment can be a big challenge, but it really is the only way to make any progress in discovering our true purpose. Until we are ready to turn our attention inwards we will always be chasing something outside us. You are already perfect as you are right now. This truth resides within you. Take some time to remember who you are and accept yourself. Everything else will unfold as it should.
Until next time… wishing you much peace.
Aaron Hoopes teaches an Online Personal Development Course for Spiritual Deepening. He is the author of 5 books including Zen Yoga: A Path to Enlightenment through Breathing, Movement and Meditation. His best-selling Daily Warm-Up DVD is a simple method for integrating breath and movement into daily life. Please feel free to contact Aaron: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Visit the Zen Yoga Website: www.artofzenyoga.com