Reading the recent entries in my journal, I find I have been doing more than my agreed upon quota of moaning and groaning. In my reflection time after this, it struck me how much this attitude seemed to be inviting more of the same unwelcome stuff into my life.I am fortunate that I do workshops on “Story and Healing”, because this time, while looking for stories to use for a coming session, I recalled several from different cultures that teach us about that in-and-out circle of what we put out into the world and what we receive from it. They teach us how we are co-creators in the Story that is our life.
While many would find it incredibly arrogant to say “We create our own reality”, mostly because it appears to ignore a Divine plan or intervention, we can certainly agree that our intentions, decisions and actions do help create – or shape - that reality in our lives.
All spiritual Traditions want to awaken us to this; the laws of Karma or Retribution, or the Golden Rule teach us this in different ways. And as Parker Palmer, a thought-provoking writer and educationist points out, all of them ask two related questions that help keep us awake to our own roles in this ‘creation’:
What are we sending from within ourselves out into the world, and what impact is it having ‘out there’?
What is the world sending back at us, and what impact is it having ‘in here’?
Traditional cultures illustrated this lesson through memorable and beautiful Teaching Stories such as this one from India:
Wanting to test the wisdom of his kings, Lord Krishna summoned King Duryodana, renowned for his power and might. While this enabled his subjects to live in plenty, they lived in great fear of his displeasure and punishment too.
Lord Krishna told him: "I want you to travel the world over and find and bring back to me one truly good man." Answering "Yes, Lord," he immediately set out on his search. He traveled far, meeting and talking to many people, finding out about their lives, values and actions, and after a long time, returned to Krishna saying, "Lord, I have diligently searched the world over for one truly good man. At heart they are mostly selfish and wicked. Sadly, nowhere could I find this truly good man you seek!"
Lord Krishna then sent for another king, Dhammaraja, well known for his wisdom and benevolence, and much loved by all his people.
Krishna said to him, “Dhammaraja, I want you to travel the world over to find and bring to me one truly evil man." Dhammaraja also set out at once, and on his travels far and wide, he too met with and spoke to many thousands of people.
After much time had passed, he returned to Krishna. "Lord, I have failed you. I found people who are misguided, who perceive things incompletely, who act blindly, but nowhere could I find one truly evil man. They are all good at heart despite their failings!"
And another story, this time set in Greece, tells us much the same thing:
Socrates used to sit beside the gates leading in and out of Athens, observing the flow of people. Once, a stranger came up to him and said, “I am thinking of moving to this city; could you tell me what kind of people live here?”
Socrates asked him, “What kind of people live in the city that you come from?”
“Oh, they are terrible!” he answered. “They lie, cheat and steal from one another. That is why I want to get out of there.” Socrates exclaimed, “Why, that’s exactly how the people are here! You’d better not move here; keep searching.”
Some days later, another person came to him to ask, “Sir, I would like to see and learn more about other parts of the country, and maybe to live here, but first could you tell me what kind of people live here?” Socrates asked this man too about the people back home. “Oh, they are good people, kind and courteous, and usually help each other.” The Teacher responded: “It is the same here. Go into to the city and explore it, you will find it is just as you imagine it should be.”
So, tell me again - what did you say the people are like where you live, where you work?
Marguerite Theophil
Our true inheritance
The stories that have been preserved by different cultures around the world
represent our true inheritance as human beings.
It is through listening to them and thinking about them that we inherit the wisdom
built up by people over countless generations.
This is why storytelling is, and always has been,
the foundation upon which true education is built.
~ Gareth Lewis
