WISDOM AND A DRUNK

A long time ago in a land far away, there was a village. The village was perfect in all ways. The folk were honest, the folk were happy and the folk were generous. They had but one who smirched their profound perfection. This was the village drunk.

He paid no heed to the common, hardworking folk of the village.  He but lay under a coconut tree, the same coconut tree every day, and sipped from his bottle of wine. As was expected, the village people grew weary of his drunken ways and shunned him from the village. The place he had called home since his birth.

Yet, he would not leave his bottle. The villagers dragged him from his home and out all the way to the village entrance, he clutched only one item in his hands; his bottle of wine. The villagers threw him out and the village elder read the decree that shunned him from his home.

The drunk, with great difficulty heaved himself off the floor and made attempt to stand erect. He turned his back on home, hugging his bottle and began walking away slowly and unsteadily.

As the dusk set in, he grew weary, unaware the distance he had travelled. His concern lay with the fact that his bottle but had a few drops left. Just a few yards ahead he saw the most beautiful coconut tree he had ever seen in his life. He trotted, with all the energy he had left, and reached this beautiful tree and set himself down.

He then realized, again, that he has but a few drops left in his bottle. His thirst grew as the hours passed and the sky turned from orange to black. It was a starry night. The drunk could not take it any longer. He held the bottle to his lips and drank till the last drop of wine touched and soaked his lips.

At this time an old traveller passed by. “Young man” he said looking at the drunk, “Any alms can you spare for an old traveller from yonder?” the old man requested. The drunk, now not so drunk, saw this frail traveller and felt pity for he had nothing to offer.

“Old man, I have nothing but this bottle of wine and it is unfortunately empty else I would have shared” said the drunk.

“Young man, I understand” said the Old man, “I have travelled long and my hunger I can contain, but my feet are weary. Allow me to rest near you.”

“Old man, this is no place of mine. I own nothing but this bottle. You are free to rest anywhere you please”

The old man walked towards the drunk and took a seat beside him. The night was cold and this traveller was clad in nothing but a robe.

“Old man, you have travelled far and wide have you not?” asked the drunk.

“Yes indeed young man I have”

“So you must be wise. The knowledge of many a people you must have attained”

“Yes young man, in my travel I acquired very little barring knowledge”

“Tell me Old man. Who is GOD?”

The old man was shocked at the question. This he had not expected from a drunk. “Young man, you ask not a small question. This is a wisdom that must be earned and I fear I cannot give it to you without a price”

The drunk stared at the old man. This reply he did not expect from one who claims to be knowledgeable. “Old man, you have insulted me when I have offered you a resting place. How is this fair?”

“Young man, I understand I have hurt you. This was not my intention. To put you at ease, I will answer any other question you ask but not this one”

“Old man, I have but one other question. What is LOVE?” asked the drunk. The old man stared in wonder at this drunk.

“Young man, choose your question wisely. I have travelled far and wide. I have knowledge of wealth beyond any King can dream of. I have knowledge of the whereabouts of a land where the rivers are wine and the women are free. Choose wisely”

“Old man, I have no home. I have no desire for wealth or the compassion of a woman I do not care for. I have but a few days before I end victim to my hunger and thirst. I have but one question. What is LOVE?”

The old man continued to stare at the drunk. He then smiled and said, “Young man, I have met many men and not one had asked me the right question. You have indeed chosen wisely”

“Young man, the answer to your question is this. LOVE is GOD” and the old man smiled. His weariness disappeared and he was revitalized. The drunk frowned for he did not understand.

“Old man, what you say makes no sense”

“Young man, LOVE is GOD. LOVE is abundance and it is joy. It is formless and appears to those who truly call for it. There are many ways to LOVE, but remember son, all rivers lead to the ocean. LOVE is bind; it does not understand what you see. LOVE is deaf; it has no knowledge of what you say. LOVE is dumb; it has no language. LOVE is simple; it understands your intention. LOVE is as powerful as you believe it to be; it is driven on faith. In its truest form it can never be tarnished or hurtful. It can only be joy, a bliss that we search for but forget that exists within us. We can give as much LOVE as we choose and there would still be some more left. In fact there would always be even more than we have given or shared. It does not judge. It does not punish. It has no reason”

The drunks’ eyes filled with tears as a realization hit him so hard it was overwhelming. For he was a drunk, but he had loved once; and she was beautiful. He was lost in her. Just as the old man said, he had no reason. Just her presence had made him happy. Alas, she was not meant for him. She ran off with another and bore his children. That is how he became the village drunk.

“Young man, there is a catch. For those who truly want to experience LOVE, we must not let our disappointment, our failures, our anger and most of all, our fear trap us. These are imaginary and temporary. We must just LOVE. For when we simply LOVE, there is no mountain too high or river too deep. Let LOVE guide you out of your fear. Be free my son”

The drunk woke up the next day under the coconut tree, the same coconut tree that he had sat under and drank every day for the last decade. He put the bottle aside and stared at the sun mighty, powerful and ever so bright.

 Within us lies the greatest power that ever existed; an infinite. LOVE.