Greetings, citizens, of City Twenty-Three. I hope the majority of you are having a swell day. My, my, what erroneous words I speak; of course you’re having a good day, for I am. After all, don’t we all spend our mornings and evenings doing the same activities? We climb out of bed, fix our hair, maybe take a walk, a chat with the old pals, the usual. You know, you and I are quite alike, if you really think about it. We’re both good men. We both follow the law – well, I assume so. But, alas, some don’t follow the law.
(Pause)
Law cannot obey man, but man can obey law. Let us speak of this in laymen’s terms, though in more of a... “tell-tale” manner.
(Short Pause)
“A fly cannot bird, but a bird can fly”. Very simple, once broken down. It’s obvious, isn’t it? And yet, you’d be surprised how many people violate this simple principle every day of their lives, making a futile attempt to fit square pegs into round holes, ignoring the clear reality that “Things Are As They Are”. Take this metaphorical story in consideration. I have a large tree, which no carpenter can cut into lumber. Its branches and trunk are crooked and tough, covered with bumps and depressions. No builder would dare turn his head to look at it. Your teachings are the same – useless, without value. Therefore, no one pays attentions to them. As you know, a cat is very skilled at capturing its prey. Crouching low, it can leap in any direction, pursuing whatever it is after. But when its attention is focused on such things, it can be easily caught with a net. On the other hand, a huge yak is not easily caught or overcome. It stands like a stone, or a cloud in the sky. But for all its strength, it cannot catch a mouse. You complain that your tree is not valuable as lumber. But you could make use of the shade it provides, rest under its sheltering branches, and stroll beneath it, admiring its character and appearance. Since it would not be endangered by an axe, what could threaten its existence? It is useless to you because you want to make it into something else and do not use it in its proper way. In other words, everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don’t seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong group, or the wrong home. When you know and respect your own “Inner Nature”, you know where you belong. You also know where you don’t belong. One man’s food is as another man’s poison, and what is glamorous and exciting to some can be a dangerous trap to others.
(Pause)
Let’s also analyze this statement: “A fish cannot whistle, and neither can I.” Coming from a wise mind, such a statement would mean, “I have certain limitations, and I know what they are.” Such a mind would not act accordingly. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to whistle, especially if you’re a fish. But there can be lots of things wrong with blindly trying to do what you aren’t designed for. Fish don’t live in trees, and birds don’t spend too much time underwater if they can help it. Unfortunately, some people – who always seem to think they’re smarter than fish and birds, somehow – aren’t so wise, and end up causing big trouble for themselves and others.
(Short Pause)
That doesn’t mean that we need to stop changing and improving. It just means that we need to recognize “What’s There”. If you face the fact that you have weak muscles, say, then you can do the right things and eventually become strong. But if you ignore “What’s There” and try to lift someone’s car out of a ditch, what sort of condition will you be in after a while? And even if you have more muscle than anyone alive, you still can’t push over a freight train. The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not.