How To Climb A Mountain...or anything else: The True Inner Story

Once upon a time there was a world-class climber who gave classes and lessons to a small
number of students.

For several weeks, they studied the technical and safety aspects of the sport and conducted
several climbs.

As the class came to an end, the instructor informed his students that there were more advanced
classes, but that to get into the class they would have to do one last climb in which their
performance would be evaluated.

On the day set for the climb, the students arrived at the appointed place. They were met by
people who said the instructor was delayed and that they should begin the climb without him.

The route was a long and difficult one, and required all the skills they had learned during the
class.

After several hours of exhausting climbing, each student reached what appeared from below to
be the last face at the end of the climb.

As each one pulled himself up over the top of this face, they saw that the mountain continued
to rise up before them.

The instructor, who was hidden from the students, watched the face of each student carefully as
they realized that the climb was not over.

Many of them sighed with disappointment that they had yet more to do.

However, a few looked up with eagerness and anticipation that there were new heights to reach,
and these were the ones the instructor accepted into the advanced class.

He wanted to climb with people who were attracted to higher and higher peaks in the world -
and in themselves. 

The King’s Rock Story: Every Obstacle Is An Opportunity

In ancient times, a king had a huge boulder placed in a roadway, then he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove it.

Some of the kingdom’s biggest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around the
boulder.

Many of them loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant farmer came along, carrying a load of vegetables on his back.

When he came to the boulder, he laid down his vegetables and began trying to move the boulder to the side of the road.

After much struggling and straining, he finally succeeded.

As he was picking up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been.

The purse contained many gold pieces and a note from the king indicating the gold was for the person who removed the stone from the roadway.

The farmer had learned what many others have learned since:

Every obstacle presents an opportunity.

Life will throw up obstacles, but instead of going around them or trying to avoid them all together, take the opportunity to confront them and learn in the process. Facing obstacles and challenges makes us stronger and aids us on our spiritual path. Oftentimes, when we avoid something we are only putting off the time until we will meet it again. It is best to bite the bullet and face these challenges head on, improving your self and learning the lessons that are meant to be learnt.

No Risk No Reward: A Cautious Farmer’s Story

A backwoods farmer, sitting on the steps of his shack, was approached by a stranger who was
passing through.

“How’s your wheat coming along?” asked the stranger.

Didn’t plant any.” Really? I thought this was good wheat country.”

“I didn’t plant because I was afraid it wouldn’t rain.”

“How’s your com coming along?”

“Didn’t plant any.”

“Really? I thought this was good corn country.”

“I didn’t plant any because I was afraid of com blight.”

“What did you plant?”

“Nothing,” said the farmer, “I just played it safe.” 

The Butterfly Predicament: A Story About Struggle

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the
butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.

Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining
bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was the restricting cocoon and the
struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from
the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles
would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly. 

Journey of Awakening: A Life Saving Story

“There was once a king who was going to put to death many people,
but before doing so he offered a challenge.

If any of them could come up with something which would make him
happy when he was sad, and sad when he was happy, he would spare their lives.

All night the wise men meditated on the matter.

In the morning, they brought the king a ring.

The king said that he did not see how the ring would serve to make him
happy when he was sad and sad when he was happy.

The wise men pointed to the inscription.

When the king read it, he was so delighted that he spared them all.

And the inscription read...

“This too shall pass.”

The Story Of Two Monks And A Beautiful Woman

Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening.

It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides.

At one street a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a large
puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her, and then dropped her off
on the other side of the road. After that he continued on his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and asked,

“Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?”

The elder monk answered “Yes, brother.”

Then the younger monk asks again, “But then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the
roadside?”

The elder monk smiled at him and told him, “I lifted her to the other side of the road,
but you are still carrying her.” 

The Guru’s Directions: A Story About Success

A man met a guru. The man asked the guru - ‘Which way should I go to achieve success?’ 

The robed, bearded sage said nothing, but he pointed to a place in the distance. 

The man, thrilled by the prospect of quick and easy success, rushed in the appropriate direction. 

Suddenly, there came a loud ‘Splat.’ 

Soon, the man limped back, tattered and stunned, assuming he must have misinterpreted the 

message. He repeated his question to the guru. ‘Which way should I go to achieve success?’ The 

guru again pointed silently in the same direction. 

The man obediently walked off once more. This time the ‘splat’ was deafening. 

When the man crawled back, he was bloody, broken, tattered, and irate. 

‘I asked you which way I should go to achieve success,’ he screamed at the guru. 

‘I followed the direction you gave me, and all I got was splatted! 

No more of this pointing! Talk! ’ 

Only then did the guru speak. What he said was: 

‘Success is that way. Just a little past splat.’