You might have heard of the Chinese idiom and its story, “The Frog in the Well”, or the ancient Indian parable of “Six Blind Men and the Elephant”. The frog in the well lives happily and comfortably inside the well, with absolutely no idea about the world outside of it. Whereas the six blind men had never come across an elephant, and they were learning what an elephant is like by touching the animal. Since the elephant is a large animal, each man was only able to touch a part of it and they came into conclusion that the elephant is like a wall (when touching its side), a snake (its trunk), a spear (its tusk), a tree (its leg), a magic carpet or a fan (its ear), a rope (its coarse tail).
The frog has spent his whole life inside the well, being narrow-minded and is not aware of the larger world around him. The blind men all touched one part of the elephant. None of them are wrong, but they misjudged the elephant as something based on their own perspective, and do not understand the range of truth nor having much communication and respect between each other.
Like the frog and the blind men, we have been brought up with many fixed and limited thoughts and beliefs, and being told since a young age by our societies, organizations and families what to do, how to think, and even how to feel or what not to feel. There is nothing wrong with the frog living comfortably inside the well, and none of the blind men was wrong with what they perceived. But have you ever felt that there might be something more, something better, or wonder why you would run into similar people, situations or what we call problems? Do you truly believe that there can be a life of joy, peace and abundance? Are we aware that we could be the frog living in the well or a blind man touching just one part of the whole elephant? Do we want to admit or have the desire to find out if there is more to our life and our world?
Through my Ro-Hun therapies, studies and my healing journey, I am now aware that it is our faulty thoughts and negative reactive behaviours that keep us in our patterns. There was no such thing as unlimited potentials, and there is no room to experience anything new. But I was safe, I knew what to expect with the familiar patterns.
NEW? New experiences do not mean doing something new or being with someone new. New means having the ability to see why ourselves or someone else is feeling, behaving and reacting in a certain way, thus having the freedom to choose how we want to perceive anything or anyone. That helps me in not judging others and more importantly, myself, and in having compassion and forgiveness. There is an understanding to the meanings and reasons behind all of my life experiences. In other words, there is an increase in perception to a more holistic thinking, expanded vision, and intuitive understanding and a greater expression of my full potential. I am free to be me.
FREE? Free from what? My thoughts are free from the old ones programmed by the world I grew up and lived in, and I am free to feel and have my own feelings, with MATURITY. I do not always need to be right and need to be perfect. Being the frog outside of the well is not easy, and it is certainly not always happy and fun. But now I have the power to decide and make choices for myself. I am responsible for my own thoughts and feelings. What I think is what I create! I am free to put the past behind, not worrying about the future but be mindful in the present.
( The title of the above Entura Art drawing is called “Wholeness”, drawn after one of my Ro-Hun Process “The Androgynous”)
Very well said! Reading your entry is very healing. What’s familiar to us can be comforting, yet don’t let it set limitations to unleashing the possibilities and potentials in us.