Feeling a little better this morning, I think. And so, feeling so, I decided to write a small story related to something the spiritual guide inside my head spoke to me about.
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A princess lay in her chambers one evening, mourning over the fact that she could not have what she loved. A wise old man, walking along a path nearby on his way to a symposium, heard her weeping and decided he'd knock on the castle door, perchance to speak with the young woman. The guards, not knowing what to do, told the wise man to wait outside the door as they fetched the king. The king had himself been distressed by his daughter's grief, so he went to the door and invited the man inside. The king spoke to one of the guards, "Please take this man to Isabel's room, right away." So the guard led the man to the locked door, and knocked upon the wood with the hilt of his sword. "Lady Isabel, you have a visitor." "Tell them to go away!" she replied. The guard knocked again, "Your father would like for you to speak to him." "Who is it?" she asked. The guard, not knowing the man's name, whispered into his ear, "Um... what should I tell her your name is?" He whispered his response into the guard's ear, "Tell her my name is Naven, and that I've come to speak to her about her dilemma." After the guard repeated Naven's words to Isabel, there was a momentary silence. Finally, with shaky voice, she spoke faintly, "Fine. I'll unlock the door. You may show him in."
Upon entering the room, Naven gestured towards a chair that lay beside the princess's bed. "Do you mind if I sit here?" Isabel, a little nervous about this man's sudden presence, shook her head. Naven sat down and looked deeply into her eyes. "What troubles you? I heard your cries as I was treading upon a path that lay not far from your open window." Isabel looked down at her feet, and spoke quietly, "I love something, but I can not make it mine." "Is this 'something' a person?" Not wanting to give too much away, the princess replied, "For now, let's just call it 'something'." "OK," said Naven. Looking back up at Naven, she asks, "Can you help me obtain what I love?" The wise man chuckled under his breath. "No, m'Lady. I cannot. But I do have some words of wisdom to offer you, which might help you to see things in perspective." "Oh, well... what words could possibly cheer me up?" she inquires. "It's rather simple. Must you have or own everything or everyone you love?" She ponders for a few moments. "I guess not. No, I guess I don't have to have everything I love." "Very good," he says, "Do you love the rainbows or the moon?" "Yes, very much so!" Isabel reponds. "You can't own the rainbows or the moon, can you?" Naven queries. "Of course not!" Isabel speedily replies. "Well then, just as you cannot have the rainbows or the moon, you cannot have everything you love. You can admire it, and continue loving it, but you cannot possess it. This way, the object of your affection remains free. Look at it this way. Many of the things you own become dull after a while and you soon find yourself wanting something new. Would you want that to happen to the thing or person that you love?" Isabel smiles, "No. I don't want to grow bored with what I really love."
Naven stands up and places his hand on Isabel's shoulder. "There you have it, m'Lady. That is the solution to your predicament." After that, he turns to the door and walks out, exits the castle and resumes his position on the path. The guards watch as his figure becomes smaller and smaller with distance, until he disappears over the horizon. There he went, never to be seen by anyone in this kingdom again.
31 comments:
That wouldn't happen to Naven Johnson, would it? (Do a Google).
:)
Sophia,
I see the connection. ;>)
Joe,
I don't know. I've never seen the movie "The Jerk" with Steve Martin. Something tells me it wouldn't happen to him because the name "Naven" means "wise man". I don't know how Steve Martin's character would wind up with a name that means that!
Anyway, it appears in my story I hae misspelled his name. It should be Navon, not Naven.
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/1/wise/1
Mossy,
You're awfully quiet today. :)
Anonymous,
I feel inspired to ask, "To what do you see the connection?" Do you see a connection to yourself?
Sophia,
I'm sorry, I was joking.
I mean I too had or still have a spiritual guide inside my head. He used be very religious and strict. Always moralizing. And I became shy, timid and fearful. I often suffered from shame, guilt feelings and panic attacks. And I tended to be judgemental and hypocritical. And I couldn't help it. Now he seem to have become worldly like myself. And only steps in when I become a bit aggressive, antisocial and destructive. And also when I forget my duties to society and the world.
Anyway I don't see him as being separate from me. Altho sometimes I can hear his voice clearly. But I am not afraid of him and I seem to trust him completely.
Well, the connection perhaps has something to do with my love interest at present. It's probably the answer to my dilemma.
Anonymous,
Do not apologize for being yourself.
Do you think this spiritual guide is your conscience?
My internal spiritual guide does not speak very often. But the other night I was listening intently, trying to be a receiver for anything that might come through. It's probably my so-called higher self, or my subconscious. But, the funny thing is, I think my internal spiritual guide is a male. At least, I imagined that the voice was male.
I'm a woman, so I'm nosy. Care to talk about your love interest?
I've been thinking of this a lot. Whether I should subscribe to the idea of having a spiritual guide. I don't usually entertain it. What I really mean is that it is not really separate from you. Yes, maybe you can call it your conscience. And I don't see it has having any particular character, personality traits or even physical characteristics. In fact I see it as an illusion. An illusory self within an illusory self.
Well, sometimes I think there is a zenmaster inside of me. Maybe he speaks Japanese, I'm not sure. But then again this is my imagination at work. ;>)
My love interest? I'm suffering right now because of her. Maybe because she reminds of my first love.
Anonymous,
There is nothing that is separate.
You must have a bittersweet relationship with this woman, sweet but painful.
I'm going to try to use spiritual logic here, but the spiritual guide inside my head is not separate from me since nothing is separate from me, yet the guide is also illusory because I am illusory. Also, what the guide says can equate to thoughts, which are not real.
I think you got that right. At least we agree on that.
I will not elaborate. But there seems to be a danger involved when you see him or her as separate from you. Maybe I will explain later. Or maybe it is not necessary.
Anonymous,
The only danger I see is that of identifying as the ego. When one sees everything as separate from oneself, they are identifying as the ego. This is dangerous because it's the ego we should get rid of in order to come to truth realization.
Yes, I feel some pain. There is a desire to see her and to be with her. And even more. It's something I have to endure.
I had this before but I was able to forget her. I mean somebody else.
Anonymous,
What is stopping you from seeing her?
Look at it this way. You've "had this" before with someone else, and you were able to forget her. In time, you will be able to forget this one, too. And then, someone new will be the apple of your eye. You have a soul mate. Whether or not they live in this time period is unknowable, but still, you have a soul mate.
This is probably where we differ in opinion. But maybe it's a matter of whether the idea is useful.
I tend to identify with the ego. Not with what is. Or Everything. But the ego is not separate from what is. It is a part of what is. A drop in the Ocean but not the Ocean itself.
Or one should not identify with anything at all. But then again you will not know how to function in society. I seem to have a logic of my own. Which tends to be practical.
Also, because nothing is separate from you, your soul mate is with you this very moment.
I used to be married or related before. But now I am theoretically free.
And there is the big age difference.
Of course some thought and ego-pretending is necessary to function. But these are simply masks we wear in the play.
Why does age matter? I'm 29 and my husband is 61! That's a 32 year age difference. I met him when I was 18 and he was 50.
That sounds like a great idea. The idea of a soulmate. But then again it is not practical. But yes she is in my mind right now. That's the reason I keep thinking of her. And indeed thinking can be painful.
Since when was what is practical? It's not practical to go around egoless, but what is is no ego.
Thoughts cause pain. Wanna meditate?
You can see it that way. But then again you might think there is something else behind the mask. Like the true self, the atman or the brahman, call it what you will.
Maybe it works for you. For us I'm not really sure.
I don't usually meditate to get rid of the pain or to push away thoughts. I just allow it. Or maybe I do something else about it. Like making plans or actually seeing her. Whatever may come.
Joy to the World, Sophia, because you are in it, you, your friends and your words and loves, Joy to Sophia, Amen.
Hi Anonymous,
Whatever you decide to do about your lady friend, I wish you much luck and success!
Jim,
:) That was so sweet!! Also, I've been singing inside my head all morning, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog! He was a good friend of mine! I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine, and he always had some mighty fine wine! Joy to the world, all the boys and girls now. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me!"
By the way, in December I'm going to see John Fogerty in concert!
This now expands my list of concerts even further:
The Everly Brothers
Aerosmith
David Bowie
Steppenwolf
BTO
KISS
Bob Dylan
Willie Nelson
Kool & the Gang
George Strait (don't ask me why)
Alan Jackson (it was a phase)
...and a few others that I can't remember at the moment. When I was in high school my mom was a big country music fan, so I kind of went through a phase. I can't listen to it anymore. I'm also not big into Aerosmith or KISS. These days I prefer adult album alternative, electronica, trip-hop, ambient, space music, chill, and other unusual types of music.
Sorry this was so long. Music is a topic I could talk about for a long time.
Joy to us all Sophia! Enjoy the music, love to you!
Oh I loved this story! What a good message. I'm glad I ran across it. I have to keep up with you more often, I almost missed this one.
I've just read your story Sophia and it was very good indeed. And I am most impressed too by the dialogue of comments.
Thanks, Vincent! I was in a creative mood that day. I wish it happened more often.
The dialogue on this blog is something I look forward to every day. :)
Hi Sibbia,
Thank you for enjoying it.
I feel bad because I'm not keeping up with people's blogs half as well as they're keeping up with me. I sometimes have special days where I try to visit everyone's blogs just so they know I'm still thinking of them and to catch-up on their lives. I'm just wondering where all the time went. I used to have too much free time. Now there's not enough. Hopefully this is just a passing phase.
I hope you and your son are doing well. Keep your pretty smile on your face. :)
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