A MONARCH OF LONG AGO had twin sons. There was some confusion about which one was born first. As they grew to young manhood, the king sought a fair way to designate one of them as crown prince. All who knew the young men thought them equal in intelligence, wit, personal
charm, health, and physical strength. Being a keenly observant king, he thought he detected a trait
in one which was not shared by the other. 

Calling them to his council chamber one day, he said, "My sons, the day will come when one of
you must succeed me as king. The burdens of sovereignty are very heavy. To find out which of
you is better able to bear them cheerfully, I am sending you together to a far corner of the
kingdom. One of my advisors there will place equal burdens on your shoulders. My crown will
one day go to the one who first returns bearing his burden like a king should." 

In a spirit of friendly competition, the brothers set out together. Soon they overtook an aged
woman struggling under a burden that seemed far too heavy for her frail body. One of the boys
suggested that they stop to help her. The other protested: "We have a burden of our own to
worry about. Let us be on our way." 

The objector hurried on while the other stayed behind to give aid to the aged woman. Along the
road, from day to day, he found others who also needed help. A blind man took him miles out of
his way, and a lame man slowed him to a cripple's walk. 

Eventually he did reach his father's advisor, where he secured his own burden and started home
with it safely on his shoulders. When he arrived at the palace, his brother met him at the gate,
and greeted him with dismay. He said, "I don't understand. I told our father the burden was too
heavy to carry. However did you do it?" 

The future king replied thoughtfully, "I suppose when I helped others carry their burdens, 
I found the strength to carry my own." 

In the Northern Deep there is a great fish, thousands of miles long. 
It turns into a giant bird whose back is thousands of miles in size. 
When it gets aroused and takes to flight, it wings are like clouds covering the skies. 
When the ocean rolls, this bird sets off for the Southern Deep, which is the Pond of Heaven. 
A chronicler of unusual phenomena writes, "When the giant bird moves to the Southern Deep, 
it beats on the water for three thousand miles, whipping up a whirlwind and taking off on it, rising ninety thousand mile. It comes to rest six month after leaving."

Energy is movement, particulate matter, the breathing of living beings in concert :
is the blue of the sky its real color, or is it so far-reaching as to be endless? 
This is how things seem to the vision of the giant bird when it looks down.

Now if water has not accumulated to sufficient depth, 
it does not have the power to carry a large boat. Pour a cup of water into a depression, 
and a mustard seed will be as a boat in it; but put the cup into the water, 
and it will stay put, because the water is too shallow for the size of the boat.

If the air layer is not thick enough, it does not have the power
to support the wings of the giant bird; therefore the bird rises ninety thousand miles, 
so that the wind is below it. Then it rides on the wind, its back to the clear empyrean, with nothing to get in its way; now it makes for the south.

The locust and the pigeon ridicule the giant bird, saying, 
"We rise up quickly into flight and aim for trees. At that, sometimes we don't make it 
and land on the ground. Why go ninety thousand miles up to head for the south?"

Those go into the bush come back after three meals with their bellies still full. 
Those who are going a hundred miles need overnight provisions. 
Those who are traveling a thousand miles need three months' supplies. 
So what do the locust and pigeon know? 
Small knowledge cannot reach great knowledge;
those of little experience cannot comprehend those of great experience.

How do we know this is so? 
Morning mushrooms do not know the passing of days and nights, 
mayflies do not know the passing of spring and autumn. 
This is because they are short-lived. In the south of Ch'u there is a tree for which spring was five hundred years and autumn five hundred years. 
In ancient times there was a great tree for which spring was eight thousand years 
and autumn was eight thousand years. 
And yet Grandfather P'eng [ who is said to lived for was eight hundred years ]
is now noted for longevity. Are not ordinary people pitiful by comparison?

North of the desert there is a deep ocean, the Pond of Heaven.
There is a fish in it that is thousands of miles wide and who knows how long. 
There is a bird there whose back is like an enormous mountain 
and whose wings are like clouds covering the skies. 
It grabs onto a whirlwind and rises ninety thousand miles, beyond the clouds, 
its back to the blue sky, and then makes for the south, going to the Southern Deep. 
Marsh quail ridicule it, saying, 
"Where is it going? We leap up no more than a few yards and fly around the reeds. 
This is as far as flight reaches; so where is that giant bird going?" 
This is the distinction between the small and the great.

So those whose knowledge is effective enough for one office,
those whose conduct is compatible with one locality, 
those whose virtue is suitable for one ruler, 
and those who are sought for employment by one country look upon themselves 
in the same way as the marsh quail.

Thus the philosopher Jung of Sung laughed at them in derision; 
he was not encouraged even when everyone praised him, 
and he was not discouraged even when everyone denounced him. 
His determination of the division between inside and outside,
his discernment of the boundary between glory and disgrace, only went this far.
He was not occupied with the world, but even though he was thus, 
still he was not constructive.

Master Lieh rode on the wind, with serene expertise, returning after fifteen days. 
He was unconcerned with the acquisition of wealth, 
but though he avoided the need to walk, he still depended on something.
If one can ride on the reality of heaven and earth, 
harnessing the expression of the six energies to travel through infinity, 
then what would one depend on? 
Therefore complete people have no self, spiritual people have no merit, 
saintly people have no name.

Notes

The giant fish symbolizes the hidden potential for higher development; 
the giant bird symbolizes  this potential in action. 
The transformation symbolizes the process of activation; 
the water, air, and flight symbolize the cultivation of the degrees of vitality, energy, and consciousness necessary to carry out the process of transformation.

The locust, pigeon, and marsh quail represent pedestrian minds clinging 
to their limited subjectivity.

The philosopher Jung of Sung represents partial transcendence : the ability to 
be mentally independent of convention without the ability to act constructively.

Master lieh represents the stage of transcendence of worldly things 
and initiation into the inconceivable possibilities of mind, 
but not yet reaching the ultimate Taoist experience of intimate union 
with the workings of the universe.

In the days of mighty King Nimrod, there lived in Mesopotamia a young man named Abraham.
Now, Abraham's father was an idol maker named Azar, who carved the wooden gods
worshiped by his people. But Abraham was a believer in the one God, and not in the gods made
by hand.

Azar would send Abraham and his other sons to sell his idols in the marketplace. But Abraham
would call to the passersby, "Who'll buy my idols? They won't help you and they can't hurt you!
Who'll buy my idols?"

Then Abraham would mock the gods of wood. He would take them to the river, push their faces
into the water, and command them, "Drink! Drink!"

At last Abraham said to his father, "How can you worship what doesn't see or hear or do you
any good?"

Azar replied, "Dare you deny the gods of our people? Get out of my sight!"

"May God forgive you," said Abraham. "No more will I live with you and your idols." And he
left the house of his father.

Now, the time came for one of the festivals of that town. The people gathered in their temple and
placed offerings of food before their gods.

Abraham walked among them, saying, "What are you worshiping? Do these idols hear when you
call them? Can they help you or hurt you?"

But their only reply was, "It is the way of our forefathers."

"I am sick of your gods!" declared Abraham. "Truly I am their enemy."

When the people had gone out, Abraham took some of the food and held it up to the idols. "Why
don't you eat?" he mocked them. "Aren't you hungry? Speak to me!" And he slapped their faces.

Then Abraham took an ax and chopped the idols to pieces -- all except the largest idol, the chief
god of the people. And he tied the ax to the hand of that idol.

When the people returned, they were shocked to find their gods broken up and scattered about
the temple. Then they remembered how Abraham had spoken, and they sent for him.

"Abraham," said the head man, 
"was it you who did this?"

"Surely it was someone!" he replied.
"Their chief stands there with an ax in his hand. Perhaps he grew jealous and destroyed the rest. But why don't you just ask him?"

The head man said, 
"You know they neither strike nor speak."

"Then why worship gods that you make?" demanded Abraham. 
"Worship instead the Maker of all!"

But few of the people would listen. Abraham was seized and brought to King Nimrod for
punishment.

When Nimrod had heard the accusers, he turned to Abraham. 
"Who is this mighty God you spoke of?"

"He it is Who gives life and death," 
answered Abraham.

"But I too give life and death," 
said Nimrod. 
"I pardon a guilty man sentenced to die -- then I
execute one who is innocent!"

"That is not the way of my Lord," 
said Abraham. 
"But listen to this: Each morning, my Lord
brings the sun up in the east. Can you make it rise in the west?"

Then Nimrod grew angry. He had a great fire built, and he ordered Abraham to be tied up and
thrown into it. But the fire only burnt away the ropes, and they saw Abraham sitting peacefully
among the flames. Beside him was an angel in Abraham's likeness, comforting and protecting
him.

After that, Nimrod did not dare try to harm Abraham again. Abraham returned to his town,
where he gathered those who believed in the one God. Then he set out west, placing all faith in
the Lord.

"The sons of Makhzum should raise the Black Stone," 
declared one of the men in the circle. 
"It is our right as foremost of the tribes."

"Who gave you such a position?" 
demanded another man. 
"The sons of Jumah will raise it!"

"Not while the sons of Abdu Manaf stand here," said another. "The honor should be ours."

"Then you will have to fight for it," 
cried another. 
"None but the sons of Abdul-Dar shall raise
the stone!"

In the years before Muhammad's holy mission, it happened that the tribes around Mecca decided
to rebuild their temple, the Kaaba. In those days, the Kaaba was simply a yard enclosed by a
wall. Their plan was to build a higher, thicker wall and add a roof.

Each tribe had chosen a section of the wall and started pulling down the stones. The sacred
Black Stone, built into the east corner, had been removed carefully and set aside.

At last they had gotten down to the foundation laid by Abraham. They had begun to rebuild, and
the wall had grown steadily higher. But when the time had come to raise the Black Stone back to
its place, they could not agree on which tribe would have the honor.

The dispute grew fiercer and fiercer, till it seemed likely that blood would flow. But then Abu Amayya said, 
"Brothers, let us not fight among ourselves. I have an idea: Wait for the next man
who comes through the gate, then give the decision to him."

All agreed and settled down to wait. And it happened that the first man to enter the gate was
Muhammad, he whom they called 
"The Trustworthy One."

When Muhammad had listened to their claims, he considered for a moment. Then he said, 
"Bring me a cloak."

They brought one, and Muhammad spread it on the ground. Then he took the Black Stone and
placed it in the center.

"Each tribe will choose a man to hold the cloak by its edge. Then all will raise the stone
together."

This was done, and Muhammad himself set the stone in place. Then all the tribes were satisfied,
and work went on with no further dispute.

One day, Jesus and St. Peter were walking through a village, when they came to a blacksmith
shop.

Peter gave Jesus a nudge. "Lord, look at that."

Jesus looked above the door and saw a sign saying, "Master of Masters."

"Hmm," said Jesus. "Let's look into this."

Inside, the blacksmith was at his forge, pounding on a horseshoe.

"I saw the sign over your door," said Jesus.
"What does it mean?"

"Can't you read?" said the smith. 
"It means what it says. I'm the Master of Masters."

"That's quite a coincidence," said Jesus. 
"That's what people call me."

"Then they'd better stop," said the smith. "I'm the greatest blacksmith that ever lived. That makes
me the Master of Masters."

Just then, a man came in, saying, "Blacksmith, my horse is outside. Will you shoe it for me?"

"Certainly," said the smith. "Come back for it in an hour."

When the man had left, Jesus asked, "Mind if I try my hand at it?"

The smith looked him up and down. "I guess you can't do so much harm that I can't put it right."

Now, usually, to shoe a horse, you pull the shoe off the horse's hoof, heat the shoe in the fire,
hammer it at the anvil to bend up the ends, then nail it back on the hoof. But that's not what Jesus did.

He took hold of one of the horse's legs and gave a little tug. Pop! The leg came right off. He
carried it inside, stuck the hoof in the fire, then laid it on the anvil and bent up the shoe. Then he
carried the leg back outside and -- pop! -- stuck it back on the horse.

"Never saw that trick before," said the smith. "Mind if I try it?"

"Be my guest," said Jesus.

The smith took hold of another leg and tugged and tugged. But all he got for his trouble was a
kick from the horse.

"Watch me again," said Jesus. He took hold of the leg -- pop! -- pulled it off, brought it inside to
the fire, bent the shoe at the anvil, and stuck the leg back on the horse -- pop! Then he went
around and did the same with the other two legs.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed," said the smith.

"That's nothing," said Jesus. "Watch this."

A man with a hunchback was passing by. Jesus said, "Sir, let me relieve you of that burden."

"Are you mocking me?" asked the man angrily.

"Not at all," said Jesus. "Please come into the shop."

Jesus brought the man inside, picked him up, and stuck his hump in the fire. Then he laid him on
the anvil and picked up the blacksmith's hammer. Whomp! whomp! whomp! He pounded that
man's back as straight as a ruler.

Jesus set him down. The man cried, "Hallelujah!", jumped six feet in the air, and raced on down
the street.

"Never saw that trick, either," said the smith. "Mind if I try that one, too?"

"I wouldn't, if I were you," said Jesus. "It's tougher than it looks."

"I imagine you're right," said the smith. He went straight outside and took down his sign. And he
never again called himself the Master of Masters.