The Sage and The Seeker
Once Upon A Time, There was a wise old sage who lived in the high places atop the highest mountain, far above the valley of smoke and confusion, where most other people lived. It was said, that this wise sage used to live in the valleys with everyone else, but that one day, he simply “changed his mind”, and after about a year of hard work, moved up to the high places on the very top of the mountain, where only the very elite lived in complete contentment and freedom.
Now in the valley below there lived a very discontented young man named Lazarus, who, for all practical purposes, lived like everyone else in his village, going to and fro to a job he hated, enduring bumper to bumper traffic every morning and again every afternoon, spending little time with his loved ones, in order that he could make ends meet. He slept poorly, heavy with worries, and slowly but surely knew that he was dying from the stress and burden of his chosen lifestyle, while never ever seeming to ever get ahead in life.
He often dreamed of a better life, and wondered what it would be like to live in the High Places in total freedom and peace of mind.
Now one day, after a particularly nasty ordeal in the valley of smoke and confusion, with all the traffic jams, winning through intimidation, corporate lunches, meaningless memos, climbing the corporate ladder, dog-eat-dog and missing his family – Lazarus decided he’d finally had enough.
There had to be a Better Way to Live.
He looked up at the high places from his car stuck in the traffic and smog, and dreamed that perhaps he could live there too, away from the smoke and confusion, and the stress and the hardship.
One thing was certain -
He was sick and tired of being broke all the time.
He was sick and tired of the stress that was surely killing him.
He was sick and tired of the corporate world, where layoffs and back-stabbing were more common than pay raises and promotions.
He was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
He was finally ready, in his heart, to CHANGE His Life.
He went home to tell his wife, but, to his surprise, she wouldn’t hear of it.
“You already have a good job, and anyway those people who try to break free to the high places all fail miserably anyway”, she said.
“But”, he protested, “what about Mike and Mary? They broke free and make piles of money and seem to do whatever they want whenever they want. I want a life like that”, he said…
…And then there’s Julie and Tim, and Randy and Eric, and Richard and Deborah…they ALL made it, and are all happy.”
“Oh, those people all just got lucky”, said his wife, “Most of those people never make any money! You’ve seen them come back from the mountain, and they’re all back at they’re jobs, miserable again, like everyone else. Just keep your real job and don’t get sucked into one of those ‘deals’ like other people do”, she said.
“But I’m unhappy in the extreme”, he said.
“We’re always broke. We never have enough to take a real vacation or do the things we really want to do because we either don’t have the money or the freedom to just do them”, he said.
“I know many people who try to make it to the high places fail. But I also know that if I don’t at least try, I will be stuck here forever for sure”, he said.
“And I have decided I’m worth more than that”, he said. “Today I’m going to go and see the wise sage who lives in the high places on the mountain. Surely He’ll tell me the secret of success!”
And so, he set off.
The High Places
As he set off for the high places, He felt strange. His mind was full of confusion, and yet, possibly for the first time in his life, there was a faint spark of hope in there. He was certain of it. It was just a tiny spark mind you, a mere ember of hope. But it was surely there.
It took three days of grueling climbing to reach the highest place on the mountaintop where the wise sage lived. As we walked, he saw the most beautiful of houses, and everywhere he looked the people here were happy and content. They all seemed to have a special light around them. And friendly! He’d never seen so many friendly people, all helping and encouraging each other. He was mystified! People don’t behave like this in the valley of smoke and confusion. Back home, they’d just as soon chew you up and spit you out, as shake your hand or try to help you. This place was different.
By the time he reached the home of the wise sage he was starving and totally exhausted. He stood at the gate of the wise sage’s estate, which seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Beautifully manicured hedges and landscaping lined the pathway to the mansion, and birds sang happily in the large, green trees.
Lazarus hesitated for a moment, afraid of reaching out for the gold-plated call button on the gate – but he knew that his long journey would mean nothing if he turned away in fear and went home. “No”, he thought, “I must meet this sage. I must ask the question. I must know the answer”, he thought.
With that, he reached out to press the button, but before he could press it, a voice called out from the speaker, saying, “Hello Lazarus.”
“Welcome to the estate of the wise sage. The master has been expecting you. Please enter the gate. A car will meet you to drive you to the residence.”
“How did he know I was coming”, Lazarus asked, wondering how in the world the sage could know. “He wouldn’t be much of a sage if he didn’t”, said the voice. Lazarus smiled, and entered the estate as the grand gates parted to admit him.
A long black car was sitting just inside the great gates, and a driver stood there with the back door opened for him.
“Hello, hello, Lazarus! What an honor to have you here”, said the driver. “Hello”, said Lazarus, as he climbed into the back of the long beautiful car. As the driver steered the long car upward toward the massive house, Lazarus asked, “Why is your master treating me, a complete stranger, like a visiting king?”
The driver broke out in laughter, “Oh, Lazarus! All who come to you seeking freedom should be treated with respect for they are the rarest of people”, he said.
“Never treat a person who comes to you with their whole heart seeking true freedom, with anything but honor, respect and kindness. These people are very rare indeed, so when you meet such a person, treat them with honor. They are not like the pretenders who for awhile, get excited, but when the heat of resistance rises, fall away. No, these are the true seekers, and should be treated with respect. You are a true seeker of freedom, are you not”, he asked.
“I am”, said Lazarus, finding himself uncomfortable in his answer, and in receiving this kind of attention.
It took a full 30 minutes, before they finally reached the grand house. Lazarus was dumbfounded. The property sprawled over 100 acres across and was surrounded with the sumptuous rose gardens. It was the most beautiful home he’d ever seen.
“Come”, said the driver, “He’s ready to receive you now.”
Lazarus was escorted into the most beautiful library he had ever seen. Millions of books lined massive oak book cases, all containing works devoted to success, motivation, happiness and successful living. It was amazing.
“The wise sage must be very wise indeed if he has accumulated all this knowledge”, said Lazarus. “Indeed”, said the driver.
“Now”, said the driver, “What can I do for you, Lazarus?”
“YOU are the wise old sage”, Lazarus asked, incredulous. “Why of course I am”, replied the wise old sage. “Why would you think otherwise”, he asked the young man.
“Well, to be honest. I wouldn’t think you would stoop to driving me yourself. Why not send a servant to pick me up”, Lazarus asked.
At this the wise old sage broke out in the most wonderful laugh Lazarus had ever heard. “Why”, the wise old sage answered, “the reason I always personally greet my guests instead of sending a servant, is because it is through service to others that we become wealthy. And I have never forgotten that most important lesson. Always be willing to serve others with your whole heart, for in your humble service lies the greatest wealth of all. Come and eat something, I’m sure you’re hungry. Then we’ll talk.”
Lazarus grinned as the wise sage’s words impacted him, and understanding began to dawn on him. Success, he thought, is much more than attaining mere riches. It is about the journey.
He began to recognize why he had never attained any great riches. Wealth is, he was finding out, not about the riches. It is about what you become in the process of attaining them.
After eating the most sumptuous lunch he’d ever eaten, it was time to ask the burning question that brought him here, so far from his home, which now seemed a dim memory.
“Ask your question my friend”, the wise sage said, smiling.
“What”, Lazarus asked, “is the ultimate secret of success?”
The wise old sage smiled deeply and full of wisdom. He reached for his richly-carved cane and said, “Let’s take a walk, you and I.” And as he opened the door, he said, “Follow me”.
“Where are we going”, he asked the sage.
“To the lake of decision”, said the wise old sage.
Lazarus’ heart was leaping out of his chest! Here he was, a ‘nobody’ by any standards, walking alone with the wisest sage in the land! What a privilege this was! Was he dreaming all this? And yet he felt also a strange contentment, as they walked together down the beautiful rose-lined pathway, leading to the lake of decision.
The Lake of Decision
About an hour into their walk, Lazarus began getting tired. “Where is this crazy man taking me”, he wondered. “Why is this taking so long? When will we get there? Is this really worth it? I mean it’s been an hour already”, he thought, growing more impatient by the moment.
At that very moment, the wise old sage began laughing uncontrollably. “You and the multitudes like you who come here for answers are so amusing! You complain endlessly about your circumstances, claim you’ll do all manner of things to change them, and after awhile, sound like whining pigs in their muddy pen. And yet here we are, a mere hour on the path to the answer that has the power to change your life forever, and already you’re whining again to yourself, like a little pig saying, “I’m too tired. This is too hard. Take me back to my pen”, he laughed.
“Will you never learn? Will you never see? Will you forever be without understanding?”, the wise sage asked.
“The answers you so hotly pursued an hour ago are all inside of you. They always have been, but you, like so many millions of others, are too blind and programmed for mediocrity to see them”, he said.
“We are here”, he pointed to a beautiful lake that was flat calm. “Go and stand on the bank, and you will have your answer”, the wise old sage said.
Feeling embarrassed, that such a short journey – one that could change his life forever – could leave him thinking like a loser again so quickly, made his stomach turn. A mere hour into his journey, he was all but ready to give up and go home.
How easy it is, day by day, hour by hour, to revert back to a mediocre philosophy!
He would be on his guard against this from now on.
He stepped over to the bank of the lake, and looked over its beautiful expanse. Nothing. No answer.
“I don’t see anything,” he said to the wise sage. “Just water.”
The wise sage said, “Stop giving up so easily and kneel down and place your face close to the water, and you will have your answer,” he said.
A little disgusted, Lazarus did as he was asked…
Suddenly he felt the hands of the wise sage around the back of his throat, shoving his head into the freezing water!
What was this?! Why is he doing this to me? As Lazarus began running out of air, he grasped the powerful hands around his neck, writhing and struggling but to no avail. Just as he was about to drown, the powerful hands of the wise sage pulled him out, though not letting go.
“What is the secret to ultimate success?”, the sage asked him. “You’re supposed to tell me!”, shouted Lazarus, trying to shake the sage off. What do you think you’re doing”, Lazarus shouted.
At that, the sage plowed Lazarus’ head under again, and again he lifted him up just as he was losing consciousness.
And so it went for over fifteen minutes!
Finally, the wise sage released the exhausted Lazarus, who collapsed in a heap at the feet of the wise old sage, coughing and sputtering.
“Why, why did you do this to me? I came to you for help”, shouted Lazarus.
“What were you thinking about as I held you under the water?”, asked the wise old sage.
“I wanted to breathe. I wanted Air!” he replied.
“And was anything else on your mind?”, the sage asked.
“No! Of course not”, replied the wet and cold valley-dweller.
“You see?”, said the sage, “All you could think about, all you wanted was to breathe!..
“Your past made no difference…”
“Your current financial circumstances made no difference…”
“Your abilities mad no difference…”
“The opinions of others were not a concern…”
“All that mattered was your goal, to breathe! It didn’t matter if you thought you could break free or not, you persisted in your struggle! Nothing else mattered!
WHY?”, asked the sage.
“Because”, said Lazarus, “it is what mattered most. It’s all that was important. I was focused on one thing alone – getting air.”
At this, the wise old sage knelt down, and gently placed his hand upon my shoulder,saying,
“When you want success, wealth and peace of mind as badly as you want to breathe, you shall have it. You shall have it because you will not rest until it is so. The opinions of others will not matter. The turmoil around you will not matter. Your circumstances will not matter. And when you have swept away all manner of distraction and excuses, and seek wealth and prosperity as you desire your very breath…nothing and no one shall stop you.”
“Riches come to those who are prepared for them, and to no one else.”
Up to now, you haven’t really WANTED wealth. You only thought you did. It was a pleasant dream, a fiction you told yourself, to wile away all the wasted years in a dark prison of your own making.”
“And now you know the secret practiced by the wealthiest of people since time began”, said the sage.
“You must desire it more than breathing, and understand that the path to those riches lies in helping others in the same way. Stop lying to yourself and either make a true commitment with all your heart, that you will succeed no matter what, as surely as you breathe, and never wander from the path. Resolve to help as many other people as you can daily, as this is the path to true success.
“Desire success as you desire your very breath. For until you do, it will forever elude you.”
One Year Later…
Lazarus awoke with the morning birds, and looked out across his sprawling 100 acre estate. With his morning coffee in hand, he smelled the sweet morning air and smiled as he thought back on the past-year’s journey. A journey filled with hardship, pain, love, new friendships, and ultimate satisfaction.
He was finally here. He’d made it.
