Parables & Metaphors That Illustrate Life

HugoZyl

HugoZyl

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Dear Readers

Thank you for taking some time to look at this thread.

Over the centuries Saints have given us beautiful imagery in the forms of stories to help us catch a glimpse of the Truth. The Lord Jesus gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Lord Buddha gave us the metaphor of the burning house.

Let us share those that have helped us in our faith so that others can benefit and God be glorified.

The Parable of the Open Prison

A man wakes up suddenly to find himself in a surprising situation. On his left and right are solid steel walls, and in front of him is iron bars through which men in guard uniforms are watching him ominously. The man screams and cries, asking to guards what is the meaning of this. The guards do not respond, and as there is no door or exit in sight, the man feels he has no hope of escape from such a horrible predicament.

After languishing in this way for a long time, he turns around to find to his complete astonishment, that the prison has no back wall. It is completely open, and a most beautiful view fills his sights. Lush green meadows, crystal clear water, deepest blue skies and blissful beings making merry without any care. The man dashes out of the prison at a mad pace, running as if the devils of hell were on his tail. After tiring himself beyond human endurance, a voice speaks to him;

Voice: Why are you running?
Man: To get away from that horrible jail.
Voice: What jail?
Man: The one down there (pointing at it).
Voice: Why do you call it a jail?
Man: I could not escape for a long time.
Voice: But it is open!
Man: But I did not know this before!
Voice: Why did you not look?
Man: I was focusing on the walls, bars and guards.
Voice: Then your foolishness was the true jail.

(fade to black)
 
This reminded me of Kafka's Paradox of the Cell. Not the same story, but it reminded me nevertheless.

I like to think of the story of the ferryman Vasudeva, in Hesse's "Siddhartha", as a parable. But it doesn't work separately from Siddhartha's story, so it can't be retold in a few sentences.
 
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Tis definitely a bad dream ...catatonic if you can't turn around and see an open wall. While ya gotta suspend disbelief, this one is to far fetched for me...zero effort before crying and screaming ...languishing for a long time...

Where is this from? I don't recognize it. Sort of surprised it has traction
 
A loop is what you're in when you get nowhere, though you try

Like a bee against a window, you'll be stuck there till you die

There is no true horizon where the ocean meets the sky

You have to climb out of a loop, to leave it you must rise

Then from beyond its limits you may look back in surprise

To see your loop was never there at all -- so what are you outside?
 
It may mean having to leave a bit of ballast stuff behind?
 
wil said:
Tis definitely a bad dream ...catatonic if you can't turn around and see an open wall. While ya gotta suspend disbelief, this one is to far fetched for me...zero effort before crying and screaming ...languishing for a long time...

Where is this from? I don't recognize it. Sort of surprised it has traction
Click to expand...

Dear wil; a pleasure to speak with you again.

It is just a metaphor, not a story with a plot. The human being also makes zero effort to begin reducing the ego before he actually begins reducing the ego. This metaphor is commonly used by the non-dual Hindu seekers, although I am not sure who created it first.

Peace and love to you once more
_________________________________________________________________________

The Parable of Unshaven Man

A man wakes up in the morning, looks into the mirror, and sees that the mirror shows him that he has a growth of hair on his chin. He is not happy about being unshaven, and feels that it is not right. Thinking that the reason for the growth is that this mirror might be wrong, he goes on looking into more mirrors; every mirror tells him the same thing, but as no mirror can ever shave him, he still feels the fault lies with the mirror. ''This mirror is not for me,'' ''this mirror cannot be right,'' ''this mirror is outdated,'' and so-on he goes never willing to shave himself. Thus instead of wasting time looking into mirror after mirror, it is best to start shaving after having looked into the first mirror and known the truth.
 
The Parable of the Grass-Eating Tiger

Once a tigress attacked a herd of goats. A hunter saw her from a distance and killed her. The tigress was pregnant and gave birth to a cub as she expired. The cub grew up in the company of the goats. The goats ate grass and the cub followed their example. They bleated: the cub bleated too. Gradually it grew to be a big tiger. One day another tiger attacked the same flock. It was amazed to see the grass-eating tiger. Running after it, the wild tiger at last seized it, whereupon the grass-eating tiger began to bleat. The wild tiger dragged it to the water and said: "Now look at your face in the water. You see, you have the face of a tiger; it is exactly like mine. Here is a little meat. Eat it." Saying this, it thrust some meat into its mouth. But the grass-eating tiger would not swallow it and began to bleat again. Gradually, however, it got the taste for blood and came to relish the meat. Then the wild tiger said: "Now you see, there is no difference between you and me. Come along and follow me into the forest."
 
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