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Big Bear
12-06-2008, 06:19 AM
There is an ancient story about a mendicant that is in search of knowledge.

As typical with such stories he(could be she)finds a gatekeeper to inner knowledge who sends the mendicant on a long journey.

On this journey he/she acquires much knowledge and as typical with these types of stories fighting and strength skills.Many battles are fought and won,many adverse situations are dealt with in a noble fashion.

When the mendicant finally reaches the goal,he/shefinds a book(scroll,or tablet).Obviously he/she is excited.To have gone through so much and now to hold the ultimate in his/her hands.

He/she opens the book to find a reflection of himself(or in some variations empty pages which reflect the same essentially) in the pages-nothing else!

How true to life and the stages of development we go through! I remember as a young man,looking striving,searching for that golden pearl.It took me personally on many strange,and dangerous,and fantastical paths.Gradually,subtely the pyro-technics so eagerly sought seemed to be just another wave of human experience.The technique for strength,or knowledge,or whatever no longer needed to be,'the next-oh you simply must have....'or'yes I must have this in an ever expanding tool box to be listed and categorized',without trully mastering anything.

My path is much simpler now in all realms of human experience.Perhaps,I don't know,maybe I have just become particularly dense? Anyways,refining,refining seems to be my Mantra as of the last several years.

To pick up a book with empty pages can only mean that everything is reflected within.Being such we are very Sacred beings each and everyone of us.The empty page is the page of fullness.It is the page with,'a slight bow to all beings...' including oneself....

have a wonderful day everyone!

peace,
jason

Big Bear
12-06-2008, 06:48 AM
Hi Tom,

Ah Yes Joseph Campbell,I love his writing. One of my former teachers,Joan Halifax was a student of his.She says that Joe could go on for days with one story after another from around the world,True to form,Joan can equally do the same.

You can probably find it on Amazon?'Hero With a Thousand Faces'and others are great selections.His writings always show me that we are one family here on Mother Earth and many of the stories and faces of the human exeperience are similar with beautiful cultural reflections....

peace,
jason

Big Bear
12-06-2008, 08:37 AM
Hi Tom,

Hey no worries,you bring up excellant points and I always love to see people excited about great storytellers and Philosophers like Campbell!

Have a great day Tom,talk to you soon!

peace,
jason

John Peterson
12-06-2008, 09:28 AM
Jason My Brother,

Fantastic! As usual. Great insights and TRUE. Life itself is the great teacher for each of us. But unlike other institutions of higher learning, LIFE more often than not gives us the test first and then we learn the lesson afterward. Anyway, that was a great post.

And Tom, "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" was the subject of a six part television series that Joseph Campbell had on public television that was hosted by Bill Moyers . The series was called "The Power of Myth". I highly recommend it.

As far as the book goes, I have it on the night stand next to my bed. Great book.

---John Peterson