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Published: October 7th 2009
I've never really written a short story before and I just wanted to try it out. Once I started, I realized how much effort goes into character development. Oddly, I had to think about the dynamics of each character and how they would react to one another. Almost like giving them life and trying to find the chemistry between them. All and all it was fun to to do some creative writing again but I think it's tough. Don't have too much expectation because this is just experimental! The reason I wrote the short story was because it would help me remember a lot of the Buddhist philosophies that I have learned throughout this trip.
Instant Enlightenment The sun sinks into the Indian Ocean and set ablaze the Sri Lankan sky in orange glory. The dusk slowly cascades into night and a young Indian man by the name of Arjuna sits under a Bodhi tree in deep meditation. His legs crossed, his back straight, his eyes closed and his nose clear. Perfect exterior posture. His breath is the bridge that connects his eternal soul with his physical body. His mind has to be empty so that he is not
carried away by his thoughts. He is supposed to imagine himself to be the vast sky that observes the clouds of thoughts, never interfering nor following them. Only observing. However, today it seems his clouds are completely looming over the sky. He has been meditating for the past 7 days but he still does not have the ability to master the mysterious mind. His thoughts spark at their own will, teasing him away from nirvana. As time slowly crawls on, Arjuna’s legs grow numb and his lower back starts to ache ferociously. He finally gives up and opens his eyes. He slaps his knee and curses his mind for being so feeble. Arjuna is clearly frustrated that he cannot reach his ultimate goal: enlightenment.
The disheartened Arjuna once heard about some kind of ‘instant enlightenment’ that can be attained by reaching the peak of this enormous mountain.
The instant enlightenment would certainly be a lot quicker than Siddartha’s 49 days of pure meditation to attain enlightenment. He decides to take the journey up the mountain to seek the truth.
As Arjuna stands at the base of the towering mountain, he contemplates deeply about this long trip he is
Mountain Top
The Buddah Statue of Enlightenmentabout to make. He hesitates for a second but forces himself to take the first step. He was not mindful and his confident first step almost crushed a beggar. The beggar was lying on the floor with no legs and looking up at Arjuna with puppy eyes. Instead of sparing the beggar some change, Arjuna spares him something more valuable: some of his own time to speak to him. They have a heartfelt conversation and the beggar reveals to Arjuna that he was once a victim of the Tiger Extremist bombing at a temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The explosion blew both his legs off and he was hospitalized for 2 months. When he finally awoke from his coma, he couldn’t find his father, Innam. The beggar, Sooja, is fully convinced that his father had been murdered in the terrorism. Since then, Sooja’s been feeling sorry for himself, angry at the world and believing people should give him money because he’s a victim in a terrible tragedy. Indeed, Arjuna does feel sorry for him and donates a few rupees. Sooja conveys his curiosity for Arjuna’s journey up the mountain and confirms to him that there is in fact, instant enlightenment
up there. Sooja expresses his desire to attain instant enlightenment as well but unfortunately, he feels too helpless to climb the mountain, especially with no legs. Arjuna thanks him and bids him farewell.
The next person Arjuna meets on his upward journey is a Ceylon tea shop owner who greets him with a large smile. The man only has one arm but he is happier than any two-armed person Arjuna has ever met. The conversation between them unravels and it is revealed to the boy that this man used to be a famous singer. His career waned ever since he lost his right arm from the Tiger Extremist bombing.
Arjuna is upset for him and asks, “What does losing your arm have anything to do with using the vocal chords to sing?”
“Perception by the people. Even though the public loved my voice, they subconsciously couldn’t bear looking at a ‘disfigured’ human being. As much as they would deny it, I knew they were frightened by me. They couldn’t accept somebody who wasn’t whole, who wasn’t up to their standards of ‘normal’. People couldn’t be open-minded enough to love me.”
“I’m sorry,” the Arjuna sympathetically
says.
“Ha! Don’t be, it turned out all the better! I’m happier now anyways. And plus, I’m right handed!”
“Oh, ok! That’s a good way to look at…. Wait a second…” Arjuna hesitated, “You don’t have a right arm. How can you be happy that you lost your good arm?”
“What do you mean by good arm?”
“Well… you’re right handed, and you lost your right arm. Doesn’t that mean you’re using your weaker arm for the rest of your life now? Aren’t you always going to be at a disadvantage?” Arjuna felt regret the moment he asked
“Not exactly. Most people just use one of their arms to accomplish a task while they barely use their other arm. I feel the greatest tragedy in life is to not reach your full potential, whether it’s the mind or body. I’m happy I lost my right arm and not my left because my right arm had already reached its full potential where I could fully control it,” the tea shop owner explained, “Whereas my left arm’s potential was basically untapped. When I was forced to use my left arm for the rest of my life, I
realized how little attention I paid to it when I had both arms. I never primarily used my left arm because I was afraid I would appear clumsy and fail at the task. But I’m glad I lost my right arm or else I would never have discovered the full potential of the other side of my body.”
He swiftly pours Arjuna a cup of hot tea and adds sugar to it all in one elegant motion with his left arm.
“Hmmm… quite the optimist. I like that,” Arjuna chimes.
“How do you mean?”
“An optimist! Though you lost your right arm and you’re right handed, you’re still able to see the brighter side of life.”
“Um… I guess, it all depends on the world though.”
“What? It’s pretty clear you’re an optimist. Here, look,” the boy drinks the tea until it reaches half, “is it half full or half empty?”
The man looks, ponders and smiles. “It is neither. Though you may temporarily think this cup is half, it can change. The only thing that does not change is that everything is changing.”
“Err…well, even if you think everything is changing,
that’s not necessarily true. You can think this cup is neither half empty nor half full, but the reality is: This tea will only get less and less… either from me drinking it or the nature of evaporation. In my mind, this cup is half-empty. In your mind, its half full because you still have something while its lasting.”
“Not necessarily,” the wise man pulls out a tiny tea cup and places it beside the boy’s cup. He takes the boy’s cup of tea and pours it into the tiny cup. The tea overflows and continues to overflow as he pours all the tea into the tiny cup. “This is neither half empty nor half full, yet this is the same tea you were drinking. But now, it’s overflowing. What’s changed?”
“The cup,” Arjuna replies
“Yes, but also your perception. And that, my friend, is the key to enlightenment. Open up your mind. You may pour that half empty cup of tea into a really big cup and it’ll seem empty. Yet, it’s the same amount of tea that made you believe there was half. Accept the tea for what it is. Appreciate the presence of it
without making a judgment.”
“Hmmm, interesting,” Arjuna takes a minute to soak it in, “I think I get you, but it’s still a little bit hard to understand. However, I think you’re right because if people had opened up their minds and appreciated you for who you are without making any judgments, then you’d still be singing. Anyway… would you happen to be enlightened by any chance?”
Wise man smiles and replies, “An enlightened person would never admit he’s enlightened. So if I was, I couldn’t tell you.”
“So you’re saying you’re not?”
The wise man just smiles.
“Anyway,” continues Arjuna, “I’m going up this huge mountain because I heard I can attain enlightenment immediately if I go through this magical door. Supposedly, I’d instantly be spiritually awake and then I can live my whole life in enlightenment!”
The wise man chuckles and responds, “I don’t think you can attain enlightenment by just going through doors. What you have to do is open multiple doors in your mind so that you realize all the things you need are right in front of you. To unlock your mind and discover for yourself that life is
much larger than just you. Anyway, good luck young men!”
Arjuna thanks him for everything and embarks on the rest of his journey up the mountain. He feels a new rush of energy surge through him as he feels the Ceylon tea replenish his body. But more importantly, the new knowledge he gained on life had rejuvenated his spirits.
Arjuna finally reaches the paramount of the colossal mountain. There is an old man silently sitting on his rocking chair. Arjuna approaches him to inquire about the admission fee to enter through this magical door.
“What?! Are you crazy?” Arjuna said, “That’s way too expensive. No way can I pay that. 10,000 Rupees is too expensive! Who does the money go to, anyway?”
“To the helpless blind people,” the old man says
“Well, in any case, 10,000 Rupees is ridiculous. You have to make it cheaper.”
“Son, are you seriously trying to bargain with me? Is there a price for enlightenment?” The old man calmly replies
“Um… OBVIOUSLY there is because you just listed it for 10,000 Rupees!”
Silence. The old man knew Arjuna cornered him.
Arjuna realized he gained the upper
hand so he immediately haggles for his enlightenment. He tries all the different techniques to lower the price down,
“I don’t know, that door looks pretty old and beat up… I only have 5,000 Rupees on me but I’ll give it to you because I like you… I talked to this other guy with this magical door and he only said it was going cost me 4,000 rupees… I’ll give you 2,000 Rupees first and if I come out enlightened, I’ll give you another 3,000 Rupees, AND on top of that I’ll give you another 4,000 Rupees if I can answer what the meaning of life is…”
The old man doesn’t budge with the price.
Hmmm… time to take the ultimate gamble “Fine,” Arjuna bluffs, “I guess I don’t want it that bad. Only a
fool would pay that much money to enter that door. I just feel sorry for the blind though…”
Arjuna turns around and mindfully walks away very slowly.
“Wait!” the old man finally gives in, “I’ll make it 9,500 Rupees. Final price”
Gotcha! “9,500 Rupees? Come on, be serious, that’s barely a discount. 6,000 Rupees. Final price or I’m
walking,” as Arjuna says this, he pulls out 6,000 Rupees to show the old man the proof. This is the oldest trick in the book: show the money so that the intangible price materializes into hard cash. The old man cannot resist the second he sees the cash bundled up in front of him and so he accepts.
“Great! So tell me, what does it feel like?” Arjuna asks.
“It feels like a million wonderful sun rays beaming on you without hurting you,” the old man replies
“Oh wow! So you’re surely enlightened, you’ve been inside?”
“No, I’m blind so I can’t go in there. I won’t be able to see enlightenment”
“I see…no pun intended…Well, maybe you can take me in…it’s my first time.”
“Sorry, I cannot take you through; I can only open the door for you.”
They talk some more and the old man reveals that he has gone blind from the Tiger Extremist bombing. He lost his sight and he also lost his son. After some time, the boy realizes that the old man is Innam and his son is the beggar at the bottom of the mountain with
no legs, Sooja! Arjuna tries to convince him to go down the mountain because his boy is still alive. The blind man does not believe him and starts angrily ranting at Arjuna. All the suppressed rage the old man bottled up over the years was now erupting. Arjuna realizes that there is no way he can convince him so in the next instant, he makes the decision.
Life is more than just you. Arjuna grabs the 6,000 Rupees back and he starts running down the huge mountain at full speed.
He runs for miles at full speed. Thinking to himself what a waste that he’s going all the way down after all that hard work to go up. On second thought,
it’s all perception, he remembers.
This situation isn’t half empty or half full, I should just appreciate the moment for what it is. He keeps running down and doesn’t even stop to greet the Ceylon Tea shop owner. However, the tea shop owner feels a different kind of glow from the boy this time and
he smiles.
Arjuna reaches the legless man at last. He is panting and trying to catch his breath before explaining
all the good news. As he’s gasping for air and fumbling for the right words to explain to the beggar, the beggar says, “Hey! How was the enlightenment? You seem a little more enlightened… I really want to experience it too!”
hmmmm… the boy thinks.
Discover enlightenment for yourself “Well… you can. It’s up that mountain!” Arjuna enthusiastically says
“Oh, well I don’t have enough money to pay for the entrance,” the beggar confesses
“Listen, I can help you achieve enlightenment if you really want it. It is the greatest feeling in the entire world, I know, I walked through it,” Arjuna bluffs,
“It’s better than money. I’ll give you the money if you promise me that you won’t steal it and you’ll really use it for enlightenment. For me to give you this money, you have to go up this mountain, pay the fee and tell the old man your name… I guarantee it’ll change your approach on life.”
“What?! You expect me to go up this mountain by myself? No way! Carry me on your back, let’s go!”
“No, you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop expecting everyone to owe
you something. This is a journey that you have to take alone. You have to discover enlightenment on your own. Somebody’s father once told me, ‘I cannot take you through; I can only open the door for you’”
The beggar was taken back a bit. That phrase sounded oddly familiar to him. It rang through his mind and told his subconscious to muster up the
courage to take the first step.
“I don’t know if I can do it, it’s a long way up. I don’t have any legs… and.. and… I’m at a huge disadvantage. Please, I beg you, help me go all the way,” the beggar begged.
“I can’t, I’ve done all I can do for you. You’ll make it, I have confidence in you. Just reach half way and stop for a cup of tea. I promise you that there will be somebody there to help you. He’ll make you forget you’ve lost your legs and instill you with courage, trust me.”
Arjuna hands him 6,000 rupees. “I already helped bargain the price down for you. Remember, you promised you’ll go all the way up and tell the man you’re name. It’s worth it.”
“Damn you! You won’t help me go up?! What’s wrong with you, I’m handicapped! You’re a horrible person, I can’t believe you won’t help me,” the beggar furiously barks, “Fine! I’ll go up without your damn help! I’ll keep my promise to go all the way up, but I want you to remember that you caused a lot of pain to a helpless person!”
I severely doubt that. Maybe physically, but definitely not spiritually! And just like that, the beggar starts to crawl his way up the mountain pumped with adrenaline and rage. Arjuna continues down the mountain and strolls towards the Bodhi tree he was meditating at. He sits down at the tree and smiles. He looks at the parts of the body that he still has and fully appreciates them and their potential. He smiles at his feet, the feet to carry him on his endless journeys. He smiles at both his hands, the body parts that allow him to lend a helping hand to those who really need it. He smiles for his eyes, for its gives him the ability to see the beauty in every little thing around him.
Open multiple doors in your mind so that you realize all the things you need are right in front of you. He closes his eyes and begins to meditate again, but this time, without the expectation of reaching enlightenment. He is simply enjoying the moment. The dawning sun slowly emerges from behind the mountain and beams life to the world for another day. Arjuna wakes up early to the morning star.
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Nina
non-member comment
Very serene photos
Great story! I miss you!