The Assembly — A Short Story to Reveal Reality
on Mar 01 in Philosophy by T.M. CoalThe Assembly
One day many of the major philosophies and religions of humanity sent delegates to a meeting hall to prove which of them had realized the truth of the universe. They determined that each party should take turns to state the efforts they had put forth to obtain the highest truth and the sources which they had use to assure that it was as high, and as true, as that party professed it to be. Each party only had a brief time to explain themselves, because all knew the tendency of all present to wax eloquent about all things and to argue for hours over the most insignificant.
First to speak was the delegate from the tribal religions – the shamanistic, animistic, and similar traditions. Rising powerfully, and wearing a face of boldness, the speaker proclaimed, “We have followed the counsel of the spirits with all of our heart. We have given the best of our crops, the best of our animals, and the best of our time to them in order to appease them and to retain the joy of harmony with them. We do nothing to harm the natural world and never waste anything that the earth gives to us. We respect the wives, land, and property of all our neighbors, and do no unnecessary harm to anything. We have gotten our counsel from the spirits of our ancestors who have died and gone beyond as they have entered our priests, the counsel of the spirits as they have entered our priests, and from the whisperings of our mother – from earth – as she has revealed to us the way to live with in her.
As the tribal delegate became seated next to speak was the delegate from Hinduism. Standing fluidly , and wearing and expression of deep wisdom, they pronounced, “We have received, by the influence of the gods upon the minds of mortals the holy writings and have followed them to the letter, as well as revering the teachings of all gurus and priests. Through all these we have seen the innumerable gods and goddesses that rule in the world. Through these we have seen the one Uncaused Cause that exists behind them, within them, and within all things – including us. We have sacrificed our best horses, our bodies, and our time in order to go beyond the cycle of death of woe and have meditated for hours to realize the illusionary nature of the world and our inherent godness. We do nothing corruptive and regard deep thought as the most auspicious.”
Next to speak was the representative of Buddhist thought. Wearing a smile from ear to ear, they said, “Long ago Siddhartha Gautama set out to realize the truth of the world and won enlightenment for all sentient beings while seated under the bohdi tree. We have followed the Buddha, walked the Dharma, and taken refuge in the community of believers. We too have meditated and realized the illusionary nature of the world but we have also realize the illusionary nature of our very selves. We have forsook all that is evil, neither hate nor despise anything, and know that every thing is no thing at all. Devoted to becoming a Buddha ourselves, we seek to never again enter the cycle of birth and death and to bring all that exist beyond the waters of life and death with us.”
Following the Buddhist representative came the Jewish Rabbi. Solidly comporting themselves and precisely dividing their words they said, “Long ago our father Abraham was called out of the paganism of his day and into the truth of one pure God. Later God came down upon Mount Sinai and gave to Moses on table of stone the highest moral law humanity has ever seen. At that time God also gave to Moses other books of law -wherein are contained the 613 rules of conduct that we never violate. God has since continued to speak with us first through the inspiration of prophets and then the wisdom of Rabbis. We attend to all those sayings with all our heart and, pray, fast, debate, and study daily those writings that are the basis of our contract with God.”
Once the Rabbi had retaken their seat the Islamic holy man rose, and almost singing declared, “There is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet. We have received our wisdom from the very voice of God as it moved through his messenger at the command of the angel Gabriel. We submit ourselves totally to the divine will. We pray numerous times daily while facing toward Mecca, we fast, and we study the Holy Koran to know the mind of Almighty God and to live up to God’s words even though oceans of ink and all this world’s trees turned to pens could never pen them all.
When the Rabbi was finished the Christian Apostle, with smile and bounce, took to their feet and said, “Indeed there is only one God but we do not have to look only to the words of prophets to find them for God himself has came to earth and revealed to us the words of truth in the form of Jesus. We have all been put beyond the reach of God by the evil committed firstly by our fathers and then by us. God sent his Son to us to pay the price for our mistakes, the price of death, so that our slate can be clean. The good news does not stop there though for a pig once clean will only jump again into the pit, but Jesus sent the Holy Spirit – as the Father sent him- so that we can have the power within us to keep clean and to constantly be made more like Christ and the Father.
After the Apostle there stood a traditionally dressed Chinese man whose deportment made clear his Confucian roots. After taking a controlled, and respectful breath, said, “I profess no direct divine communication as the rest do but I do not reject the power, or the rule, of heaven. The duty falls to every person to educate themselves, to honor their ancestors, their teachers, and their parents. We are all born into this world to fulfill a task none other can accomplish and none can deny their fate or lot in life.”
Waiting patiently till the Confucian finished was a fine dressed, and well mannered, European who spoke with poise and presence of mind saying, “I am a pupil of logic and a child of science. I respect all those here but all here represent majorities that I do not respect because they do not think. I am born from the bold questions of Plato and Socrates, hardened by the relentless observations of empiricists, and flee the psychological weaknesses – and childlike needs- found in those who comfort themselves with foggy father and mother figures who live in the sky. I accept only objective, observable, and repeatable data because all other so called ‘truths’ are either relics of a more ancient ape like mind, or pillows to soften the hard reality.”
As the Materialist was returning to their seat, and before the Janis, Sikh, or Zoroastrian speakers could rise, there came a sudden and tremendous cackle from the rafters of the auditorium. All those present were aghast at the thought of one who could laugh at such an important gathering. The chairman of the assembly stood and demanded, “Who is this that speaks out of turn?” The one in the rafters replied, still chuckling, “I came hoping one of you might tell me.” This offended the chairman even more and he quipped, “What is your name?” The one in the ceiling replied, “Good sir, there is no name in all of heaven that is mine but people insist upon getting my attention with some silly sounds that I neither like or hate.”
The chairman was not at all amused and said, in a very authoritive tone, “Stop speaking in riddles and answer me.” The one in the ceiling at this point had climbed down out of the rafters and, standing a distance they knew the chair would find comfortable, said, “I speak in truths and because you do not understand they seem to be riddles. I have never once failed to answer you but so you can interact with me you can call me Tzu”. After saying this Tzu leaped onto the desk and, without a care, sat in the middle of it cross legged. The chairman said, “Will you not use a chair?” to which Tzu, still smiling , replied “Will you not use your mind?”.
Now Tzu had gone to far and the chairman said, “I am sure I speak for all here when I ask how it is you can be so jolly at such an important event as this?” Tzu replied, “Because I want to go through life living until I die not dying until I am dead”. The chairman, realizing now that Tzu was not rude just totally unconventional, said, “We all must die daily in order to realize the truth.” Chuckling Tzu replied, “If you die one day you will not realize anything on the day following. I am as disciplined as any here I am just beyond bounds and fears.” The chairman snorted, “Are you suggesting we are caged and afraid?” Tzu replied, “Yes and no — all things are so deep they are always yes and no — but so you understand I say that each of you are bound by the constructs and ideas that are designed to liberate you. Your’s is the worst cage of all — one that exists only in the mind and that is built because you reverently fear to see beyond your side.”
Seeking now to make dislike for Tzu arise, and to manipulate the existing divides, the chairman asked Tzu, “Which of us here represent the truth?” With a gleam in his eye Tzu replied, “I do not care if all here hate me or love me, such external validations are sought only by those who are half awake or selfish, but I think the answer might make you laugh and so I’ll tell you. All of you here represent the truth but none of you here are the truth. It is silly to compare things by ‘like’ or ‘unlike’ because everyone has a different measure that they go by. One says the black man is not like the white man because their skin is ‘different’ and I say they are the ‘same’ because both their blood is red. Another says apples are not like oranges but I say they are identical because they both grow on trees, have seeds, arise from dirt, drink the sun, and sip water. You see it is all based on what you want to go by as to how alike or unalike things are one with another. Being able to see all the similarities, differences, and perspectives is called, “Sitting on the Axis as the Wheel Spins” and it is what the wise strive for.
All here have began at different points but all here live and move upon the same circle. All here say ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ are measurements the mind takes according to a rule, and since all have a set of rules that measure themselves as being the ‘right ones’ and others as being the ‘wrong ones’ what is Ultimately right and wrong are obscured. There is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ but these do not arise from the measurements of mortals, they arise from the construction and nature of things, and these are determined by Heaven. Thus Heaven is the ultimate ruler and the effect any action has on a thing will reveal to you if you are in harmony with Heavens Way or if you are just in Heavens way.”
Tzu continued, “This reality cannot be named flawlessly because the namers are all flawed. This infinity cannot be named according to is total infinitude because the mind, and the tools used to express its contents, begin as small as a speck and grow until they die. If ones says, “I know”, then they have forever set themselves beyond learning. The Ultimate Heavenly Way is known only unto itself and all those way here represented, when measured by it, are right and wrong in varying degrees on all the varying topics. Forsake nary drop of truth but partake nary drop of pride. There is no better or worse only different, after all who is better the Queen or the subjects? The Queen rules with wisdom but without subjects the Queen herself would be subjected to the simplest of lives. Most are blinded by the concepts that are intended to make them see just like the man whose jaw was broken by the machine that was supposed to help him chew.”
“No part of a circle can represent the whole and no one thing can tell you the secrets of everything. I once heard of a Hebrew who said, “There is safety in a multitude of counselors”, and I think he was not far from the Way. All parts of the systems represented here, and all parts of the people who believe in them can exist in harmony one with another, all parts that is except two, the part that insists its superiority over others and the part that denies others the power to make themselves. Every guppy in the pond is a small fish and just as one cannot eat for another, speak for another, walk for another, or live for another they cannot think for another — do not violate the way of Heaven.”
“I walk the Ultimate Unnamable Way and it will take me to the Ultimate Unnamable End; when I get there do have tea waiting!”, and saying this Tzu rose from the table, and laughing casually, strolled out the door.”
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