1000 petals by axinia

the only truth I know is my own experience

A wall of mystery March 18, 2010

Filed under: thoughts — axinia @ 4:22 pm

There is an ancient story in the East which tells that there was a wall of mystery.

The tradition was that whenever anyone tried to climb upon the wall to look at the other side, instead of coming back he smiled and jumped over and never came back again. So the people of that country became very curious to know what mystery lay behind that wall.

They thought they would arrange something so as to pull the person back when he looked at the other side of the wall and wished to go there. When the next person tried to climb upon the wall, curious to see what was on the other side, the people who saw him climb put seven chains on his feet and held him so that he would not go over. When he looked at the other side he too was delighted with what he saw and he smiled. Those standing at their side, curious to know what he had to say, pulled him back, but, to their great disappointment, when he came back they found that he had lost his speech.

The mystery of the whole life has a great charm. Every soul is curious about it, but when one wants to explain the mystery of life words are not adequate. There are many reasons for this speechlessness, for this silence. The first is that the man who has seen the other side of the wall finds himself among children when he returns. To him all the things to which people attach great importance and value seem nothing. For that person truth and fact are two things; for everybody else truth and fact are the same.

The followers of different faiths and religions, of different opinions and ideas dispute and argue and differ from one another. Do they dispute and differ in the realization of truth? No, all differences and disputes are caused by the knowledge of various facts which are different from one another. There are many facts and one truth. There are many stars and one sun; when the sun has risen the stars pale. The one before whom the sun has risen, to whom the truth has manifested for him facts make little difference. The light of truth, falling upon the facts, makes them disappear.

from The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan


11 Responses to “A wall of mystery”

  1. Tomas Says:

    Thank you for the wonderful story. It was fine to read. I recognized the same Wall of Mystery between my posts and the pictures I wish to share

  2. mirel Says:

    Hazrat Inayat Khan once said:

    “Tell people about any mystery existing outside themselves: they are delighted to explore it. But when you tell them to see in themselves, they think it is too simple.
    complexities they raise by their own complex intelligence. They do not like the straight way, they like the zig-zag way. They enjoy puzzles.
    Even if there is a door before them, they say, ‘No, I do not look for it.’ If a door opens before them, they do not wish to go out by that door. They prefer to be in a puzzle. It is a greater joy not to be able to find the door for a long time. One who is thus enjoying the puzzle, is horrified when he sees the way out”

    I knocked and the door opened, but I found I’d been knocking from the inside!!!

  3. Sun is a star – that is a fact, BTW! 🙂 We might be seeing the same object, but still thinking that sun is different from stars – I guess we are too dependant on the interpretation by our brains, which has quite a limited knowledge that too acquired via observation. Both happiness and sadness are illusions that are so interpreted by our brains.

    Destination Infinity

  4. mahesh chendake Says:

    what is their on other side ? A great question?for which, all are curious and surviving also. which also gives purpose for survival.If one can get answer for that he may realize truth and loose faith in survival( life’ drama which one has play honestly) and of course, may get connected, and then he will find uselessness in life’ various facts and may loose interest and can get dissolve in that . I don’t know whether it right or wrong but I believe survival in witness state which is also very difficult to get and tolerate (Maintain) with our own emotions , likes dislikes ,happiness and sadness etc. as many time people give answer I am a person and not a God. and I want to be a person who want to enjoy the life in ignorance, illusions, and with their own beliefs and value system.
    Here I remember a story of Saint Tukaram ‘s wife , who refused to go with Tukarm in heaven with body not with only sole as as it is offered to him( in marathi “Sadeh”) as she was greatly involve in her family life and animals ( said to be her Buffalo) another reason told for that as, he was withdrawn from all those thins and she used to manage all those things in day to day life.
    The another story I am always telling about two cancer people with terminal illness .one of which bed was in window and used to describe beautifulness of life beyond the window and enjoy, due to which other was used to curse about himself that he is not getting . one day he died so another person requested to doctor to keep him in window . then when he saw outside the window there was nothing except only wall. So he amazed and remember all those events first person described and his enjoyment in terminal illness of cancer. when he asked to nurse about him she told ” He was blind”. so this is mystery of life and it depend on how one is accepting it with reality and ascending himself on the path of spirituality without loosing struggle of life and enjoyment and let other enjoying philosophy .

  5. Föhre Says:

    I think one reason, why the person lost his speech, when they pulled him back, is because the mystery on the other side can only be experienced by oneself (When one is ready for that) and cannot be explained to others.
    It is like trying to explain “love” to someone who has never been in love.
    I think to get true knowledge through putting chains to an “initiate of the truth” is pretty much the wrong way! 🙂
    One should rather get inspired and curious and try to climb up on the wall too!

    Thanks for sharing this inspiring story!

  6. …for everybody else truth and fact are the same.

    I always knew truth and reality were two completely different things! 😐


  7. simplyrohit21 Says:

    Namaste Axinia,

    I recall the same example as mentioned here being cited to his disciples again and again by Ramakrishna Paramhansa as described in the book “The Gospel of Ramakrishna”.

    He used to say the exact same thing. In fact he used to narrate another example again and again. Once there was a doll made of salt. One day the doll thought of measuring the depth of sea. It went deep and deep inside while the other dolls kept waiting for it so that they could know how deep is the sea and what lies there. Obviously the doll was never to return as it just melted and became one with sea.

    To experience God/Brahman is one such thing. One who experiences God has no words to describe him. Even the scriptures observe him to be ‘indescribable’ and the one that has nature as that of pure bliss [Sat-Chit-Anand]. Note that these concepts are not abstract imaginations but are actually felt by those who are ‘realized’. The trouble is it just cant be put in words. Its like telling a person about color blue who has been blind since birth. Forget about the color blue, that person does not even has the remotest conception of light. To such a person the concept of color cant be explained.

    The same is reinforced again and again by multiple realized souls that The One cant be explained and can only be experienced. I agree with Föhre.

    Further to that, the wise add that All is Him. He manifests himself in everything around you. Though I am myself a seeker but still I would recommend to read ‘The complete work of Swami Vivekananda’. That is arguably the most precise, clear, sharp and accurate presentation of Truth I’ve ever read in my entire life.

    By the way I fully enjoy the posts and the discussions subsequent to them. Keep up the good work!

    Love & Light,

  8. […] of story here. Advertisement LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "0"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); […]

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