by an Australian Western Falun Dafa practitioner
A Dove was flying on a long journey. He was high above the land when he looked down and saw an owl sitting on a branch of a tree. He said to himself: “I think I will rest for awhile.” So he flew down to sit beside the Owl. After some time sitting in silence, the Dove said: “I want to tell you a story, and when I have finished please give your advice.” And thus he began:
A dove was sitting comfortably in peaceful meditation on the branch of an old gum tree when a kookaburra came to sit beside him. They were good friends. Usually he would laugh happily but this day when he tried to laugh no sound came forth.
“Wake up wake up” he said to the dove. “Do you know that there are toads coming from the north? Millions and millions of them, poisonous toads multiplying by the thousands in the middle of one of our most beautiful pieces of land, and they are so poisonous that they are destroying everything. Even the snakes when they eat them die, their poison is so virulent. Can you help?” The dove being an expert on peace replied: “I am a man of peace. I do no harm to any living being. This has nothing to do with me, if that is the way it is there that is the way it is. I am going on a long journey in a few days, go away and let me prepare.”
Undeterred the kookaburra replied, “I am your best friend, am I not? I tell you that this may be the most important and final battle between good and evil, and it is being played our right here in your own back yard. Don’t give up now, you are needed here. You know that I do a service to humanity by eating snakes. What will happen to me, to my children, to this whole land, perhaps to all humanity? Please stay and help! Please! You are so well known people will listen to you.”
The dove closed his eyes to think about what the kookaburra had said. He sat and thought and thought. Several days passed and still he sat thinking. When at last he opened them, the kookaburra was lying dead at his feet.
While the Dove was talking the Owl listened attentively, he looked very wise, but being an owl, said nothing. At last the Dove said: “I am a man of peace but perhaps it is time for me to go out of my comfort zone and actually do something. Perhaps I have been thinking only of myself, not of others. Oh, dear I see now I have made a mistake, I am no good. I have failed my friends. I am in despair. You must tell me what to do.”
The Owl cleared his throat, and after some time spoke thus: “You do very well. I will just repeat to you what both of us have heard before. Stay with the pain. Go within but stay without. Endure, and follow thru’ with what you do. Don’t run away. Right action can follow right thought. Once I was told that a wise man said when you fall down to quickly get up. I don’t have to tell you these things, you know them already.” But only the tree, and the grasses beneath heard and whispered assent, for the Dove had already flown away.
Category: Artwork
