Posted by Tina
I heard the following story many years ago. At the time I didn’t pay attention to the author or source so I can’t tell you much about it’s origins. I may not even recall the details with absolute accuracy but I think I can offer a version that still conveys the message.
A poor peasant man was in the habit of rising every morning before sunrise, gathering up his blanket, and going down to the banks of the river to wash and say his morning prayers. When he was finished he always stood and shook out his blanket just as the sun rose over the mountaintop. During this time threre were three holy men from a nearby village who were in the habit of taking a walk each morning before sunrise. As their discipline dictated they arrived at the river’s edge at the precise moment that the sun was rising over the mountaintop. The rituals of these men continued for years. Every day the men all came to the river’s edge and every day the holy men quietly observed the peasant with his blanket. In time the holy men began to associate the sun rising in the sky with the peasant man shaking his blanket. After much discussion and prayer they determined that the humble man must be a great sage with knowledge of the mystery of the sunrise. The holy men were convinced they had much to learn from this man and vowed to approach him the following day. They packed their blankets, put them near the door so they would remember to take them the next morning. they thought if they could practice with the sage in time they would learn the secret of his powers. But, the next day, as they approached the river’s edge, they could clearly see the man was not there…and the sun came up anyway. The moral of the story is…put down your blanket.
At times we assign too much power or weight to external causes and rituals; we fail to see truth. In doing so we also fail to assume responsibility for our own experience.