Imagine you are outside in a field where there are interesting views from all angles. Heading in any direction you find something appealing that lures you forward, but inevitably you come up against a wall. There's no way around the wall, and attempting to scale the wall would obviously involve subjecting yourself to much pain and possible dismemberment. You eventually try all the paths that lead only to walls. A few times you even scaled a wall, with great harm to oneself, only to find upon reaching the top of the wall, that there was a cliff on the other side with a bottomless pit beneath. You spend nearly your whole life exploring these walls.
Finally, you notice a small stream of people following a path that seems to go somewhere. The only thing attracting them is a light. You follow the path, and you discover to your complete amazement that the path continues beyond all the walls. A whole new world lays before you. The path itself has some ups and downs, and for the most part seems to be headed up a mountain. However, there is everything you need along the way to continue the journey, and the companionship of your fellow travelers is more edifying than any of the former attractions that dead-ended into walls.
After some time on the way toward the light, you see a few people turning back. You ask them why. They share stories of their lives with you similar to what you experienced among the walls. They have remembered loved ones who are not on the way with them and they want to go back and tell them of this path that actually goes somewhere.
You join them because you have loved ones too with whom you want to share news of the new way. You go back among the walls and everything seems different. The same attractions are there, but they no longer lure you. And yet, you can see people putting all their effort into scaling these deathly walls. You begin to tell others of the little path that leads toward the light. No-one pays much attention. They are too attracted to the walls to pay much attention. Most people tell you "oh yea, I've looked at that path. There's nothing there. It's just open space. Only a simpleton would go that way."
That's what amazes you. The little path toward the light provides an opening out of the death trap of walls into a whole new world filled with life and happiness, and yet so many people think it's 'nothing.'
Before you leave the death-laden walls again, you manage to persuade a few friends to come with you. You walk toward the light. Again you enter the new world of light and life. You never look back.
Finally, you notice a small stream of people following a path that seems to go somewhere. The only thing attracting them is a light. You follow the path, and you discover to your complete amazement that the path continues beyond all the walls. A whole new world lays before you. The path itself has some ups and downs, and for the most part seems to be headed up a mountain. However, there is everything you need along the way to continue the journey, and the companionship of your fellow travelers is more edifying than any of the former attractions that dead-ended into walls.
After some time on the way toward the light, you see a few people turning back. You ask them why. They share stories of their lives with you similar to what you experienced among the walls. They have remembered loved ones who are not on the way with them and they want to go back and tell them of this path that actually goes somewhere.
You join them because you have loved ones too with whom you want to share news of the new way. You go back among the walls and everything seems different. The same attractions are there, but they no longer lure you. And yet, you can see people putting all their effort into scaling these deathly walls. You begin to tell others of the little path that leads toward the light. No-one pays much attention. They are too attracted to the walls to pay much attention. Most people tell you "oh yea, I've looked at that path. There's nothing there. It's just open space. Only a simpleton would go that way."
That's what amazes you. The little path toward the light provides an opening out of the death trap of walls into a whole new world filled with life and happiness, and yet so many people think it's 'nothing.'
Before you leave the death-laden walls again, you manage to persuade a few friends to come with you. You walk toward the light. Again you enter the new world of light and life. You never look back.
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