Cherokee Parable – Two Wolves

Posted on July 5, 2022 by Author Richard F Holmes

I came across this beautiful parable sometime ago and completely forgot about it until the other day when someone brought it to my attention. It is the famous old Cherokee parable of the “Two Wolves” and I find it so powerful and true that I thought I would share it here. It was such a timely reminder for me and I hope you enjoy reading it.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Whether you were reading this for the first time, or whether like me, it served as a memory jogger, I hope you felt inspired.

It’s Only Wine

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Author Richard F Holmes

Image by Unsplash

A rich landowner was very well loved by all those who worked for him on account that he was a very caring and compassionate man. The man’s pride and joy and one real vice, was his wine cellar; of which he was immensely proud. He had wines of all vintages from all over the world, reds, whites, dry and sweet, before dinner, with dinner, after dinner; you name it, he had a wine for the occasion. Amongst all of his vast collection, there was one single bottle of an extremely rare vintage that he was waiting to share with the right person. Many a time he was on the verge of sharing, but it never quite happened.

One day the governour of the state visited him but the man thought to himself, “I can’t open this vintage wine and share it with a mere governour.” Soon after, he was visited by the Arch-Bishop, but “no” he thought, “this man just wouldn’t appreciate it.” He then entertained a member of the royal family, and as they supped he also felt that this royal simply wasn’t senior enough to taste the rare vintage. Even when his son got married, he was tempted then to crack open the bottle and toast the happy couple, but again had second thoughts, believing that none of the guests, or indeed his own son, were appreciative enough to taste the rare vintage. Eventually, the man became old and died and the rare vintage remained undrunk.

The day of his funeral came, and because he had been so kind and popular in life, all his employees and the peasants of the area were invited to attend a great celebration of his life. All the wine was brought out from the cellar, including the one, single bottle of the very rare vintage. The man’s family shared the wine with everyone present. However, the peasants and indeed the family, knew nothing of vintages and to them all that was poured into their cup was wine; plain and simple wine.

So it is in life too. No matter what status we are given by others, or whatever status we award ourselves, it all eventually comes down to the same thing. Death does not discriminate; it takes all of us eventually from our physical bodies. I am a firm believer, especially now I am older, that status is very superficial and holds no importance, except that which may be contextual. The greatest people I have ever known and been inspired by, have been those, that in the worldly sense of the word, had little or no status in life. They were people who were simply kind, caring and compassionate.

In Zen, death is considered to be part of life, a stepping stone to the next experience. I hope, my friend, that you drink and enjoy the wine of life that is your experience and I hope your chosen vintage is love…

The Transitory Phenomenon We Call Life

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Author Richard F Holmes

The nature of our relationship with creation is that of subject/object. The mind (subject) constantly seeks out objects in the world and interacts with them; objects can be things or people. It then draws a series of conclusions and opinions around the interaction, which determine whether we are happy, sad or indifferent with the experience. Relationships are so-called because we all exist in relation to each other. When two people are in love; genuinely in love, it is not because they are in a relationship with each other. It is actually because the soul connection between the two is so strong, that the illusion of the subject/object relationship has broken down and dissolved away, allowing the two souls to merge in Love with each other and experience the oneness of consciousness. This is a great paradox of life; we are only in a relationship when the relationship has broken down!

The subject/object relationship is what is also known as duality; the illusion that things and people exist separately and independently. The only reality is consciousness, however, when consciousness has its dancing shoes on, objects rise up and appear to exist independently of everything and everyone else. But all that rises up must also dissolve away; this is the transitory phenomenon that we call Creation.

Promises

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Author Richard F Holmes

The sort of promises I’m referring to here are more what you would call vows; the type you make when you get married for example. Have you ever wondered why many people find these vows so difficult to adhere to, and why (if we continue with marriage as the example here) so many marriages end in divorce these days. The answer, quite simply, is because the human race as a collective, still does not really know what love is and therefore puts conditions on it. We ask of those we claim to love what love itself would never ask of another.

Our very nature as a species is that of evolution. The individual soul experiences life in the world so it may know itself in its own experience. Or, so it may know experientially what it otherwise only knows as concept. It is these experiences of life that instigate the growth and evolution of the individual soul. As the soul evolves its perceptions and outlooks change. This means that our very nature is that of change; we do not stand still. Love would never ask another to restrict and impose limitations on itself by not changing when the very nature of life is change. A vow made today may be relevant to the person you are today. But six months, a year, five years or ten years down the line, you are not the same person; you have evolved, therefore your vow may no longer serve who you are and who you are choosing to be. In this world of relativity there is no right and wrong there is only that which serves you and that which doesn’t; right and wrong are simply relative and a matter of individual opinion.

Instead of expecting someone to “love, honour and obey”, what about “I honour your right to explore and express your individuality and I also honour your right to continually recreate yourself in the grandest version of the greatest vision you ever held about yourself”. This would be love in action, not superficial love with conditions. If this principle was applied more often to relationships of all kinds the world would be a much better place.

The Holy Trinity Of Love, The Child & Innocence

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

There is a child in all of us regardless of physical age, an inner child whose very nature is love in all its innocent glory. The unsullied child; without judgement, prejudice or bias in any form. Ever the impartial and silent observer, a microcosm of equanimity within the great macrocosm, unruffled by the helter skelter of the illusion that is earthly life. If this is so why does life tend to be so painful and difficult?

The reason for this is because when we plunge into the realm of matter, encased within a body of flesh, we become immersed in the monkey-mind-like chatter of information picked up by the senses from the external world; which is then fed to our own logical minds. Our minds then tend to race, churning countless fragments of information around as if in a tumble dryer. The result of this is worry and confusion and we simply lose sight of who we really are; we lose sight of the child. The good news is that just because we lose sight of the child, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. It’s the same principle as not being able to see the sun on a cloudy day. The sun may be obscured by the clouds but it still shines in all its glory.

Creation moves in cycles, and this trilogy of Love, Child, Innocence is no exception to the rule; which is more good news for us. What this means is that there can only ever be one outcome; no matter how long it may take, each and every one of us will one day, once again, realise the “child within” in all its effulgent splendour. It’s also another good example of the symbolism of the Holy Trinity: Love (the all-encompassing God the Father) begat the Child (God the Son) which is permeated throughout by innocence (The Holy Spirit).

The Earth dimension has been created specifically as a dreamland stage so that we, as individualised souls, can incarnate within it when need be and play the game of life. It’s a bit like playing snakes and ladders, where we will make progress along the way but will also encounter pitfalls. The beauty of creation moving through cycles is that if we ever find ourselves in a situation that we don’t like, we have the power to change it. For example, what is your inner child doing at this moment? Is it ripping open Christmas presents, sulking in the corner or crying because it has been hurt? If it’s one of the latter two, you yourself have the power to change it to the first example.

Yes, the Earth dimension really has been created in a specific way; a way that makes it inevitable that our child will become obscured. Once this happens we can then commence “The Game of Life” or the journey back to the child via a pathway of trial and error. Life begins at the end of our comfort zone and no journey is worth making unless it represents some kind of challenge. Each challenge we meet along the way represents an opportunity to grow; and each opportunity to grow is relished by the child because it serves as one more stepping stone back to Love, The Father (there’s that cycle again).

If you are struggling at this moment in time remember that your child loves you. But also understand that you and your child are One; love your child and love yourself, for the key to happiness within the Earth dimension is to love yourself simply for who and what you are, imperfections and all, completely and utterly without conditions. Do this and your child will be laughing its socks off!

The epitomy of Love, Child, Innocence

Tears

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

I don’t know where this came from, but I first posted it on 28 April 2011. Such beauty has gotta be worth a re-blog!

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief…and unspeakable love.”