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THE
SEED (A
Parable)
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL AND MAGICAL GARDEN. THE SOIL THERE WAS DARK, WARM AND MOIST AND IT WAS SAID THAT IF YOU TOOK SOME UP IN YOUR HANDS YOU COULD FEEL THE LIFE-GIVING ENERGY PULSING FROM WITHIN IT. IN THIS GARDEN GREW FRUIT TREES AND FLOWERS OF EVERY TYPE KNOWN TO MAN AND EVEN SOME THAT WERE NEVER BEFORE KNOWN. EVERYTHING THAT WAS PLANTED THERE, GREW TO ITS FULLNESS, NOTHING WAS EVER WASTED.
THE COLORS OF THE PLANTS WERE MORE BEAUTIFUL
THAN
ANYTHING EVER BEFORE SEEN. EVERY SHADE AND EVERY HUE OF THE
SPECTRUM WAS TO BE FOUND THERE, PRODUCING A RICH RAINBOW OF
DELIGHT FOR THOSE WHO BEHELD IT. THE GRASS WAS GREEN AS
EMERALDS. THE REDS, ROSY AS RUBIES. THE YELLOW WAS GOLDEN
LIKE THE SUN; AND THE ORANGES SHOWN LIKE CARNELIAN AND JASPER.
THE VIOLETS, DEEP AND ROYAL, BEFITTING A QUEEN OR A KING.
THE PINKS AS DELICATE AS A NEWBORN'S SKIN. OVERHEAD THE SKY
WAS BLUE AND BRIGHT AND EVERYWHERE THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH
THE PERFUMED AROMA OF THE MANY FLOWERS. THE FRUITS OF THE
TREES WERE JUICIER AND SWEETER THAN ANYTHING BEFORE TASTED.
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THIS GARDEN FLOWED A STREAM OF CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER WHICH SPARKLED LIKE DIAMONDS, REFLECTING THE LIGHT OF THE SUN; AND SURROUNDING THIS GARDEN WAS A WALL WHICH WAS BUILT OF SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE GLISTENING, TRANSPARENT GOLD.
FROM
ALL DIRECTIONS, THE BIRDS OF THE AIR WOULD FLOCK TOGETHER
MIGRATING LONG DISTANCES ALONG A PERILOUS 
JOURNEY JUST TO BE
ENCIRCLED AND NOURISHED WITHIN SUCH BEAUTY. IT WAS HERE ATOP
THE BRANCHES OF THE TREES THAT THEY LONGED TO BUILD THERE
NESTS AND YOU COULD HEAR THEM SINGING JOYFULLY TO THE
RHYTHMS OF THE FLOWING STREAM AND THE BABBLING BROOKS.
NOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GARDEN SAT A WISEMAN AND A WISEWOMAN WAITING PATIENTLY. THEY ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE SECRET OF THIS GARDEN-LIKE KINGDOM.
ONE DAY A WAYFARER CAME UPON THIS PLACE. YOU COULD TELL BY LOOKING AT HIM THAT HIS JOURNEY HAD BEEN LONG AND ARDUOUS. HIS CLOTHES WERE TORN AND TATTERED AND HE WAS COVERED IN DIRT AND DUST. HIS BODY, TOO, WAS BRUISED AND BLEEDING.
AT FIRST WHEN HE SAW THIS MARVELOUS KINGDOM HE WAS AFRAID TO GO IN, THINKING THAT HE WAS NOT WORTHY TO ENTER SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE. BUT, SUDDENLY THE WISEWOMAN AND THE WISEMAN APPEARED AND BECKONED HIM TO COME IN. THEY BATHED HIM IN THE STREAM OF CLEAR, CRISP WATERS AND GAVE HIM NEW CLOTHES TO WEAR. THEN THEY FED HIM OF THE MANY FRUITS THAT WERE TO BE FOUND THERE.
AFTER HE HAD BEEN FILLED, THE SOJOURNER ASKED THE WISEMAN AND WISEWOMAN HOW THIS PLACE HAD COME TO BE SO BEAUTIFUL AND WHY THEY HAD BEEN SO GRACIOUS TO LET HIM IN.
"WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU," THEY SAID, "DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE BELONGS TO YOU. YOU ARE THE MASTER OF ALL THAT YOU SEE AND WE YOUR HUMBLE SERVANTS."
"HOW CAN THIS BE," HE REPLIED, "I AM JUST A SOLITARY WANDERER WITH NOTHING TO CALL MY OWN BUT THE CLOTHES I WEAR AND THE MEMORIES THAT LINGER WITH ME."
"WE HAVE WATCHED AND WAITED A LONG TIME," THEY SAID. "WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED HERE THIS LAND WAS BARREN. BUT EACH TIME YOU WANDERED AIMLESSLY IN THE DARKNESS, A LIGHT APPEARED IN THE HEAVENS; EACH TIME YOU CONQUERED A FEARSOME OBSTACLE, A SEED WAS SOWN UNDERGROUND; EACH TIME YOU SHED A TEAR, THE RAINS CAME AND WATERED THE SOIL; EACH TIME YOU SUFFERED A HARSH WORD OR WERE SHUNNED AND IGNORED, A BUD BLOSSOMED; AND EACH TIME YOU FELT ABUSED OR ABANDONED, A FLOWER RELEASED ITS FRAGRANCE. THIS GARDEN IS THE KINGDOM YOU CREATED, MY FRIEND, BORN OUT OF THE SEED THAT WAS PLANTED IN YOU LONG AGO.
"YOUR JOURNEY, THOUGH LONG AND ARDUOUS, IS COMPLETE. YOU HAVE ENTERED THE GARDEN OF THE TRUTH, JUSTICE, PURITY AND BEAUTY YOU NURTURED ALONG THE WAY. FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SEED PLANTED IN DARKNESS IS THE LIGHT OF THE LIFE YOU SHALL ENJOY FOR ALL ETERNITY..."