The greatest weapon.
Once upon a time there was a broken man living in an arctic climate, hidden far away from the rest of the world in a small Northern portion of his huge, beautiful country. He was broken for reasons other than the climate of his geographic location, but this definitely did not help ensure his long term presence there. You see, the problem was that he was frozen in the center of a block of ice. He knew that in order to be set free, he would need to light a fire within himself and melt the ice that surrounded him. This very thought, in itself, was the fire... and so the ice began to melt very quickly. His ambition fanned the flames, giving it a surge of energy, and his creative mindset designed a pathway out. These two qualities were an integral part in his being set free.
One day this man, his name is "Zen", realized he was no longer stuck within this block of ice. He decided to leave behind the frozen tundra that so trapped him, and hit the road in search of experiences that he could only dream about earlier. He hoped, prayed, and eventually came to believe that this was the first step he needed to take to rekindle his love affair with life, and with the source of all that is alive.... with God.
He set out in the early spring, after a particularly long winter season, for a location far away. It was a place he had heard about, and he knew it to be as hot as any good man could bear. He drove his old car clear across his huge, beautiful country in four days time and arrived at it's polar opposite end. It was a remote desert location, and he was proud that he had accomplished his goal. Again however, the climate of his geographic location had nothing to do with his renewed love for life, and the source of all that is alive, but it didn't hurt either. The road energized his spirit, and he came to know a "new self". It was one of achievement, it was one of self-realization, it was one in which his doomsday anxiety was replaced with a curious, day to day excitement. He forgot this feeling ever even existed, and wondered if he could seize it forever. He never knew what was just ahead on his path, but he knew it would be good. The fire within was still lit, and he learned to continue fanning its flames with an ambitious and creative mindset.
"Even the bad patches in the road would bring good... in time." he told himself.
After a year in this hot desert, Zen found himself becoming stagnant, and craving a new adventure. After all, he learned to fan the flames of his fire with ambition and creativity. Because of this, he wanted a new adventure where he could experience a true challenge, and possibly even compete for a prize. He felt as though he were worthy of any opponent, and deserving of any prize that was being offered. He wished he could be a contestant entered in a race for glory, wealth, and ultimately... happiness beyond what he had already found in this remote desert location. This time around however, he would embark on a journey to a less remote location, a much larger city where there were no limits placed on how much you could gain, and where the water tasted like wine (so he heard anyway). It was very different place than the secluded desert he had become accustomed to; in fact it was one of the largest cities humans had ever built in his huge, beautiful country. He felt that he was more ready than he had ever been to accept this new challenge, and so he set forth toward it with ambition and creativity.
When he arrived in this city, he encountered many obstacles right off the bat. "Aha! Now we're talking!" he thought "Now this is a city where everybody is a contestant playing in a giant game, and the surface of this game board is 100 times bigger than the desert. I can't wait to see the prize!"
Over time however, the same ''bad patches in the road" he was so sure would "bring about good eventually," never came to fruition, and he slowly began to lose his love for life and the source of all that is alive. The roads everywhere were so bumpy and they were always in such bad need of repair, that he decided to stop driving all together and opted instead for public transportation. The only problem with this idea was that he would now be unable to leave the large city at his own free will.
"No worries, the prize is just ahead," thought Zen.
After a year of unimaginable struggles, including various life threatening situations, he found himself stuck again, but this time he was stuck in a place that was nothing like the block of ice he had experienced two years earlier. He was stuck in a fire, and he was burning to death. He could really use some of that ice now, which was once so abundant. The large city Zen chose to bring him a true challenge, had consumed him instead. And so, in defense, he decided to freeze himself within a block of ice once again, since now this was the only approach that would save him from the unbearable heat he was experiencing. He became cold to the world around him, fighting the fire with ice every day. Everybody and everything around him also fought the fire, and everybody and everything around him seemed to be losing the same fight.
It was the competition he craved, and sought out in this large city. It was where "everybody was a worthy opponent" only months before. But now it seemed as though they were actually thirsty for new blood, and thrived on seeing these new opponents fail at the challenge of succeeding there. More importantly, it seemed that this game had no honor, no glory at all (not to mention: fewer prizes than he imagined). He tried to keep a clear perspective on the situation, that these people all had the same ambition and creativity that he did at one time, and that like him they were all there for the same prize.
"Be careful what you wish for I guess," thought Zen... and this very thought rang through his head for weeks and months on end, fanning the flames of the fire that he was trapped in.
"The prize is just ahead."
Zen eventually came to discover that the game he so badly wanted to play was no game at all. It was in fact just a war that was going on, and he felt as though he had somehow deceived himself into entering it, under the false pretense that his competitive spirit called him to play in these fields that the source of all that is alive created. Zen found himself in an army, and he was covered with blood daily. Maybe it was the "source of all that is alive" itself that drafted him into this war, in some display of divine providence, but he blamed himself nevertheless.
One day Zen, while carrying a sword fashioned from ice on his march to the front line of the battlefield (which was in the center of this large city), noticed a damsel sitting in a tree in a lush forest area close to where the battle was taking place. This damsel however, was not in any distress at all. She appeared untouched by the battlefield she was so close to. He was dumbfounded by her grace, and her sense of freedom from this war. "Did she not know what was happening all around her? Will she not defend herself from the fire at all?" he wondered.
He approached the damsel cautiously, embarrassed to be carrying the ice sword covered in blood. "What brings you here damsel? And what about the war going on, you can't be safe in this tree all alone..." said Zen.
"Come up here and talk to me for a while," she said.
They sat on this tree together, and talked for hours about things that had nothing to do with the war that was going on just below them. He told his story of the journey that had brought him to this place, and she told hers. They brought out the best qualities in each other through conversation, and felt "validated" for all the experiences, good and bad, that they had been through to get to this place. He found himself enjoying their time together greatly, and it gave him a well deserved break from the fighting. They discovered that they had a lot in common, and they yearned to draw each other close.
She saw that he was very weary from the messy war he had gotten himself into, and invited him to stay with her in her private little garden, which was secluded from the action. He jumped at the chance, because what she offered him was not only her loving arms and a place to stay, but also the chance to put down his ice sword and stop fighting the war all together.
They lived together in the garden for a few months, and during this time they sat and talked in the tree often. His worries grew farther and farther away, and before he knew it he was truly happy again. He was in love with this damsel and wanted to stay with her forever in the garden. More importantly, he realized that he did not need to fight the war any longer. The war only caused mental casualties, as evidenced by the hungry, sick, and wounded souls that wandered through the streets there. Monetary gain was no reason to continue the fighting, nor was any worldly possession an adequate prize to justify the blood on his sword. He began to understand these truths well, and he held them dear to his heart.
However, his most profound realization in the garden was one that he came to on his own. His love for her was the prize he had hoped for and earned. It made his initial ambitions seem petty and foolish in comparison.
You see, Zen not only fell in love with her, but he fell back in love with everything around him. Love is all encompassing and knows no boundaries, so through his love for her he realized his love for himself, for all life, and for the source of all that is alive... God. He decided to ask the damsel to promise him that she would stay with him forever, to ensure that they would never part. It was obvious to him that by being together, they possessed a great deal of power. "This power could transform the world!" he thought. They could plant seeds of love in others, teach other soldiers to put down their ice swords, and possibly even grow secluded gardens for weary soldiers to fall in love with damsels everywhere. Everyone could have a piece of the pie, knowing the truth she had taught him:
The best weapon in fighting a war is carrying no weapon at all, it is love.
Now that he was free from the war, he found that his creative mind was still active and very much alive beneath the armor. So in a creative burst of energy, he wrote a song that he believed epitomized all he felt for her. He was planning on playing it for her in the very tree he encountered her in, displaying his love with words and music, and then follow it up by asking her to stay with him forever. He was very nervous, but he knew this was the most important moment of his journey, his life, up to that moment. He led her to the tree, pulled out his guitar and sang her his song...
"Damsel, this song is called The Day We Woke Up Together," he stated.
I saw something in your eyes I had to call my own.
At that moment it was clear that I had never known,
my reflection could ever look so good.
And its owner never thought it could... or should.
I'm not trying to be something I'm not.
In spite of this I don't have a lot.
But if I had that lot I'd know,
that having it was just a show to draw you near,
yet you're still here.
I can bring the fire.
You can bring the air.
We'll keep the winter guessing,
"Who, what, why, and where?"
Is bringing all this warmth against its icy cold campaign...
We'll just smile and take the blame.
Singing:
"Last call for love.
Now's our chance to soar above.
The limitations that we thought were in our way,
and wake up together every day.
Let's wake up together every day."
We'll never try to be something we're not.
We'll always thank our God for what we got.
So when we reach the darkest time of day,
He will shed the light to make our way through the night.
We'll be alright.
Cause were singing:
"Last call for love.
Now's our chance to soar above.
The limitations that we thought were in our way,
and wake up together every day.
Let's wake up together every day."
He put down his guitar and got on one knee. He then asked her to stay with him forever, and presented a ring fashioned of precious gem stones. She replied, with tears in her eyes... "YES!" They carved their initials into the tree, and continued talking, dreaming, and loving.
As the story goes, they lived happily ever after, sharing their knowledge with the weary soldiers in the world.
The Beginning.
One day this man, his name is "Zen", realized he was no longer stuck within this block of ice. He decided to leave behind the frozen tundra that so trapped him, and hit the road in search of experiences that he could only dream about earlier. He hoped, prayed, and eventually came to believe that this was the first step he needed to take to rekindle his love affair with life, and with the source of all that is alive.... with God.
He set out in the early spring, after a particularly long winter season, for a location far away. It was a place he had heard about, and he knew it to be as hot as any good man could bear. He drove his old car clear across his huge, beautiful country in four days time and arrived at it's polar opposite end. It was a remote desert location, and he was proud that he had accomplished his goal. Again however, the climate of his geographic location had nothing to do with his renewed love for life, and the source of all that is alive, but it didn't hurt either. The road energized his spirit, and he came to know a "new self". It was one of achievement, it was one of self-realization, it was one in which his doomsday anxiety was replaced with a curious, day to day excitement. He forgot this feeling ever even existed, and wondered if he could seize it forever. He never knew what was just ahead on his path, but he knew it would be good. The fire within was still lit, and he learned to continue fanning its flames with an ambitious and creative mindset.
"Even the bad patches in the road would bring good... in time." he told himself.
After a year in this hot desert, Zen found himself becoming stagnant, and craving a new adventure. After all, he learned to fan the flames of his fire with ambition and creativity. Because of this, he wanted a new adventure where he could experience a true challenge, and possibly even compete for a prize. He felt as though he were worthy of any opponent, and deserving of any prize that was being offered. He wished he could be a contestant entered in a race for glory, wealth, and ultimately... happiness beyond what he had already found in this remote desert location. This time around however, he would embark on a journey to a less remote location, a much larger city where there were no limits placed on how much you could gain, and where the water tasted like wine (so he heard anyway). It was very different place than the secluded desert he had become accustomed to; in fact it was one of the largest cities humans had ever built in his huge, beautiful country. He felt that he was more ready than he had ever been to accept this new challenge, and so he set forth toward it with ambition and creativity.
When he arrived in this city, he encountered many obstacles right off the bat. "Aha! Now we're talking!" he thought "Now this is a city where everybody is a contestant playing in a giant game, and the surface of this game board is 100 times bigger than the desert. I can't wait to see the prize!"
Over time however, the same ''bad patches in the road" he was so sure would "bring about good eventually," never came to fruition, and he slowly began to lose his love for life and the source of all that is alive. The roads everywhere were so bumpy and they were always in such bad need of repair, that he decided to stop driving all together and opted instead for public transportation. The only problem with this idea was that he would now be unable to leave the large city at his own free will.
"No worries, the prize is just ahead," thought Zen.
After a year of unimaginable struggles, including various life threatening situations, he found himself stuck again, but this time he was stuck in a place that was nothing like the block of ice he had experienced two years earlier. He was stuck in a fire, and he was burning to death. He could really use some of that ice now, which was once so abundant. The large city Zen chose to bring him a true challenge, had consumed him instead. And so, in defense, he decided to freeze himself within a block of ice once again, since now this was the only approach that would save him from the unbearable heat he was experiencing. He became cold to the world around him, fighting the fire with ice every day. Everybody and everything around him also fought the fire, and everybody and everything around him seemed to be losing the same fight.
It was the competition he craved, and sought out in this large city. It was where "everybody was a worthy opponent" only months before. But now it seemed as though they were actually thirsty for new blood, and thrived on seeing these new opponents fail at the challenge of succeeding there. More importantly, it seemed that this game had no honor, no glory at all (not to mention: fewer prizes than he imagined). He tried to keep a clear perspective on the situation, that these people all had the same ambition and creativity that he did at one time, and that like him they were all there for the same prize.
"Be careful what you wish for I guess," thought Zen... and this very thought rang through his head for weeks and months on end, fanning the flames of the fire that he was trapped in.
"The prize is just ahead."
Zen eventually came to discover that the game he so badly wanted to play was no game at all. It was in fact just a war that was going on, and he felt as though he had somehow deceived himself into entering it, under the false pretense that his competitive spirit called him to play in these fields that the source of all that is alive created. Zen found himself in an army, and he was covered with blood daily. Maybe it was the "source of all that is alive" itself that drafted him into this war, in some display of divine providence, but he blamed himself nevertheless.
One day Zen, while carrying a sword fashioned from ice on his march to the front line of the battlefield (which was in the center of this large city), noticed a damsel sitting in a tree in a lush forest area close to where the battle was taking place. This damsel however, was not in any distress at all. She appeared untouched by the battlefield she was so close to. He was dumbfounded by her grace, and her sense of freedom from this war. "Did she not know what was happening all around her? Will she not defend herself from the fire at all?" he wondered.
He approached the damsel cautiously, embarrassed to be carrying the ice sword covered in blood. "What brings you here damsel? And what about the war going on, you can't be safe in this tree all alone..." said Zen.
"Come up here and talk to me for a while," she said.
They sat on this tree together, and talked for hours about things that had nothing to do with the war that was going on just below them. He told his story of the journey that had brought him to this place, and she told hers. They brought out the best qualities in each other through conversation, and felt "validated" for all the experiences, good and bad, that they had been through to get to this place. He found himself enjoying their time together greatly, and it gave him a well deserved break from the fighting. They discovered that they had a lot in common, and they yearned to draw each other close.
She saw that he was very weary from the messy war he had gotten himself into, and invited him to stay with her in her private little garden, which was secluded from the action. He jumped at the chance, because what she offered him was not only her loving arms and a place to stay, but also the chance to put down his ice sword and stop fighting the war all together.
They lived together in the garden for a few months, and during this time they sat and talked in the tree often. His worries grew farther and farther away, and before he knew it he was truly happy again. He was in love with this damsel and wanted to stay with her forever in the garden. More importantly, he realized that he did not need to fight the war any longer. The war only caused mental casualties, as evidenced by the hungry, sick, and wounded souls that wandered through the streets there. Monetary gain was no reason to continue the fighting, nor was any worldly possession an adequate prize to justify the blood on his sword. He began to understand these truths well, and he held them dear to his heart.
However, his most profound realization in the garden was one that he came to on his own. His love for her was the prize he had hoped for and earned. It made his initial ambitions seem petty and foolish in comparison.
You see, Zen not only fell in love with her, but he fell back in love with everything around him. Love is all encompassing and knows no boundaries, so through his love for her he realized his love for himself, for all life, and for the source of all that is alive... God. He decided to ask the damsel to promise him that she would stay with him forever, to ensure that they would never part. It was obvious to him that by being together, they possessed a great deal of power. "This power could transform the world!" he thought. They could plant seeds of love in others, teach other soldiers to put down their ice swords, and possibly even grow secluded gardens for weary soldiers to fall in love with damsels everywhere. Everyone could have a piece of the pie, knowing the truth she had taught him:
The best weapon in fighting a war is carrying no weapon at all, it is love.
Now that he was free from the war, he found that his creative mind was still active and very much alive beneath the armor. So in a creative burst of energy, he wrote a song that he believed epitomized all he felt for her. He was planning on playing it for her in the very tree he encountered her in, displaying his love with words and music, and then follow it up by asking her to stay with him forever. He was very nervous, but he knew this was the most important moment of his journey, his life, up to that moment. He led her to the tree, pulled out his guitar and sang her his song...
"Damsel, this song is called The Day We Woke Up Together," he stated.
I saw something in your eyes I had to call my own.
At that moment it was clear that I had never known,
my reflection could ever look so good.
And its owner never thought it could... or should.
I'm not trying to be something I'm not.
In spite of this I don't have a lot.
But if I had that lot I'd know,
that having it was just a show to draw you near,
yet you're still here.
I can bring the fire.
You can bring the air.
We'll keep the winter guessing,
"Who, what, why, and where?"
Is bringing all this warmth against its icy cold campaign...
We'll just smile and take the blame.
Singing:
"Last call for love.
Now's our chance to soar above.
The limitations that we thought were in our way,
and wake up together every day.
Let's wake up together every day."
We'll never try to be something we're not.
We'll always thank our God for what we got.
So when we reach the darkest time of day,
He will shed the light to make our way through the night.
We'll be alright.
Cause were singing:
"Last call for love.
Now's our chance to soar above.
The limitations that we thought were in our way,
and wake up together every day.
Let's wake up together every day."
He put down his guitar and got on one knee. He then asked her to stay with him forever, and presented a ring fashioned of precious gem stones. She replied, with tears in her eyes... "YES!" They carved their initials into the tree, and continued talking, dreaming, and loving.
As the story goes, they lived happily ever after, sharing their knowledge with the weary soldiers in the world.
The Beginning.
posted by b-Zen at 2:40 PM
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