A quick parable about a guesthouse
A couple of months ago, I came up with a short parable. Kinda like a zen koan, but not really. Maybe.
Who knows! Anyhow, I promptly wrote it down in my notes, not to forget it. It was the morning of 17 October 2023.
That day I had other things to do, and I was not feeling inclined to write a blog post. But now I do (at long last!), so here we go.
The parable
You have a guesthouse on a much travelled road.
There are folks from all walks of life. Some are good, some are evil.
You’ll never know who you’re gonna meet.
Sometimes they pass by, other times they spend the night. Most of the time they pay you, but sometimes they don’t – and maybe they even damage your furniture.
If you don’t let go of the evil people, they’ll wreak havoc on your guesthouse. And if you don’t let go of the good ones, your guesthouse will become a prison.
Look at the wayfarers from afar and tell evil from good. Choose your own guests.
Some context
At first I thought it’d be crystal clear what’s that all about, but I’m not so sure anymore. I suspect I was biased, being the one who made the whole thing up.
I don’t mean to explain anything, as I don’t believe there is supposed to be a “correct” interpretation. Not just one, at the very least.
Still, here’s my take:
- The guesthouse is your mind.
- The wayfarers are your thoughts.
- You are you – whatever that means.
Thoughts can be fleeting and go unnoticed. Or they can stop by and generate emotions, positive or negative. Either way: welcome, enjoy your stay, farewell.
There’s no bottom line, or it can be whatever. I prefer to raise questions:
- Are your thoughts really yours?
- Does clinging on to your feelings do you any good?
- Could you try and keep your mind clean, letting go of the outcome?
Another perspective
I’m left wondering about what anyone who is not me would think upon reading that story for the first time.
Unfortunately, that is not something I can do. And even if I could… I would not be a representative sample, wouldn’t I?
I’m always happy to get in touch with anyone who chanced on my blog posts, but I’m especially curious to hear from you on this one!