The way of change
It was a beautiful afternoon. The Sun was about to set. Vivid colors appeared in the sky. There was a shade of bright red mingling with a burst of orange, mixed together with a shy hue of yellow at the foreground. A blue background, was still visible while white and gray clouds were moving slowly south east. Darkness appeared little by little from the right side of the horizon, insinuating a close take over.
The master and his disciple were looking at the sky from the rooftop of the master’s home.
The master asked: “Do you see how subtle and almost imperceptible is the change of colors in the sky?”
The disciple said: “Yes, master. You really have to look carefully to catch up with those changes.”
The master replied: “ Are those changes too quick for you?”
The disciple responded: “ No master, quite the opposite. It is hard to keep my attention in those changes.”
The master said: “ I see. You are not looking. You are expecting for some outcome to occur. Your mind understands that darkness is about to come and that expectation does not allow you to look.”
The disciple felt awkward with that reply and said: “No, master. I am looking.”
The master continued: “ Do you feel nourished by that scene?”
The disciple said: “Master, I am looking, seeing the sky. Where could I possible get nourishment?”
The master sighed and said: “ When you look and become delighted with such spectacle and put all your senses in attentive mode, there is no interference from the mind. Right there, a sense of well being, peace and tender solitude invades you. That is nourishment for the soul. That is to look. On the other hand, when the mind interferes, it only looks to analyze, dissect, label, compare and expect. There is no nourishment there.”
The master took a few seconds to continue: “There is a lesson to learn there as well. Did you learn something?”
The disciple didn’t respond. The master said: “ You mentioned about change of colors. The change of light into darkness is very smooth. Most, probably haven’t even looked at the end of a delightful afternoon and do not know about this lesson from Life itself. Observe: For any change to be non-contentious, it has to be very smooth. It is not quick. It happens little by little. This holds true for any change in society, as well as consciousness. When offering change to another, keep his attention in the colorful parade, for otherwise he will not be able to stand the sudden change from darkness into light. Respect his process and move slowly to avoid any hue of violence. That level of care is in synchronicity with the laws of Nature.”
Exploring the Depth of Living 