Awakening

The student approached the cave wherein the master dwelled.

“Teacher, I come for instruction in the path to enlightenment.”

“Go to the lake midday, sit on the shore, and return to tell me what you have seen.”

The student did as instructed. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“I saw myself gazing at the still water.”

“Is this all?”

“Looking further, I saw the fish below my reflection swimming in the water.”

“Is this all?”

“I saw the water plants, the rocks, the mud.”

“When the next storm comes, go again and sit by the lake and return to tell me what you have seen.”

The student did as instructed. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“I saw the wind stir the surface of the lake.”

“Is this all?”

I saw the rain beat the surface of the lake in the fury of the storm.”

“Is this all?”

“I saw the raindrops leave the clouds as rain, only to become the lake upon their descent.”

“Did you see your reflection?”

“No master, the sun was hidden by the clouds, the waves distorted the lake waters.”

“Did you see the plants, the rocks, the mud?”

“No teacher, these things I could no longer see.”

“Go tonight and sit again by the side of the lake. Return tomorrow and tell me what you have seen.”

The student did as instructed. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“I saw the many stars in the water. When I looked into the lake I could not tell if I was looking at the sky or the water.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“When the moon broke through the clouds, again I saw my reflection, but rather than in the lake it was as if I saw myself in the sky.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“Yes, master, this is all.”

“Go again and sit by the lake, but this time close your eyes and do not open them. Return to me after you have seen all that you can.”

The student did as instructed. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“I saw myself sitting by the lake. The sun was shining, the fish swam below darting among the plants and the rocks, stirring the muddy bottom.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“A storm came, I saw myself sitting by the lake. Many clouds were above, the wind stirred the water, the waves washed the shore. The rain became the lake, the shore became the mud where the rocks stood below. The fish hid among the rocks.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“When the storm was finished, it was night. I saw myself sitting. There was no lake, there was no sky. There were only the stars above and below and I sat among them.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“Yes teacher, all this I saw, but no more.”

“Go again and sit by the lake and return when you have seen all that you can.”

The student left. For many days and many nights, he sat by the side of the lake. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“All that I have already spoken to you of, I saw again.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“I saw myself sitting by the shore of the lake. I was an infant held against my mother’s breast, I was a boy running through the fields, I was a young man seeking enlightenment, I was an old man bent with age, I was a skeleton crumbling to dust and this dust was blown gently into the waters of the lake.”

“Is this all that you saw?”

“I saw a man sitting by my side looking at me. He saw the fish and the plants to which I gave shelter. He cupped his hand to drink of my water and smiled in his refreshment. He was one with the stars that shone in me and swam amidst the fish and the rocks. He played in my mud.”

“Is this all that you saw?”

“I saw the dry sand where now is a lake. I felt the glacier that carved the earth where now is the lake and I walked the dry lakebed where once I swam.”

“Is this all you saw?”

“Yes, this is all.”

“Go again and sit by the lake and return when you have seen all that you can.”

The student did as instructed. Upon his return, the teacher asked what he had seen.

“I saw nothing.”

“Absolutely nothing?”

“Nothing, master.”

“You came to me seeking the path to enlightenment. Six times I have sent you to look into the lake. Two times you returned to me older and wiser, two times you returned to me younger and wiser. Once you returned ageless and timeless. Now you return to tell me that you see absolutely nothing. I cannot show you this path.”

“Go again and sit by the lake and return when you have seen all that you can see.”

The student did not move. He sat in his cave. He sat by the lake. He saw nothing. Nothing except for the smile of love on the master’s face. And in this smile, he saw everything.