A Wishing Well

 

One afternoon, Akira was marching through the forest, carrying a sack of his many troubles on his weary shoulders. He stopped to rest by a well, that according to a famous myth, was magical by nature. The well was known to grant the wishes of all those who sat by it.

Akira looked into the bountiful water of the magical well, as he reflected upon his troubles. He started to feel thirsty and wished for some water. Suddenly, a glass of cold water appeared before him. A shocked Akira inspected the water and downed every last sip of it. 

He then started to feel hungry and wished for a hearty meal. He suddenly had in his hands, a plate full of delicious food items. Perplexed, he examined the food and ate up every last crumb of it. 

Seeing his wishes being granted, he thought he'd test the magic by wishing for a grand house, all for himself. To his disbelief, a mansion-like house appeared right in front of him. Amazed, he thought to himself that maybe he's being tricked and maybe he should seek something more real, more life-like. 

He shot another arrow in the dark and wished for a beautiful maiden to get settled with. And voila! Standing right before him, was an attractive young lady with a big smile on her face. By this time, Akira was almost certain that it was all unreal. To prove it, he touched the girl saying, "There is no way you are real. Someone is just playing a big, fat joke on me. I can't be this lucky!" At the very instant, everything he wished for disappeared in front of his eyes. 

Akira shook his head in pride, picked up his sack of many troubles and said, "I knew it..." 

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There is no beauty in the world till you have the eyes to see it. The flowers will bloom, but you will fail to see them. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Likewise, there is no Master till there is a Disciple. And likewise, there can be no gift for you till you know how to receive it. 

So many of us go on searching for something without developing a corresponding receptivity in ourselves. We try to see beauty in the world, not knowing that our eyes are shut. We try to seek for a Master, not knowing that the Disciple in us is absent. We expect to be gifted, not knowing we don't know how to receive the present. 

That's what poor Akira was completely unaware of. How could he possibly sustain any of the wishes he was granted, if he didn't believe them to be true, and was unable to be grateful and accept them? A mind in complete disbelief is capable of driving away the most real of things; just as, a mind in hope is able to attract the most unrealistic...

#LaughingAnanas