The talk by Venerable Pandit was on the fairy tale of the same title.
Before he went into the story, he gave us an insight into Buddhist psychology and the power of stories.
People go through these 2 phases:
Id Phase (from Freudian psychology)
- Actions based on getting pleasure and getting rid of pain – liking and disliking (e.g. a baby cries when hungry)
- Irrational
Delayed gratification
- Willing to go through some discomfort/ dissatisfaction in order to get something better e.g. have a smoother life
- Rational. Linked to ego (good) – wisdom that should be developed
Storytelling was one of the ways that was used to record wisdom before people started writing. Stories are powerful because they are easy to remember and can contain metaphors for ideas. Stories are used in the suttas as well. The books are about storytelling for business if anyone’s interested: “My Life in Advertising” by Claude Hopkins, “Made to Stick” by the Heath Brothers and “Tell to Win” by Peter Guber.
“The Grateful Beasts” is available at the following linkhttp://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/146/the-yellow-fairy-book/4780/the-grateful-beasts/. These are the metaphors in the story as Venerable explained:
- The young weak one (Fergo in this case) is always the one who ends up succeeding in fairy tales
o When you try something, you’ll do it wrong the first time
o When you try something, you’ll do it wrong the first time
- Setting out from home into the unknown
o Withdrawing from the comforts of home and mundane life to embark on a spiritual journey (especially for monastics)
o Withdrawing from the comforts of home and mundane life to embark on a spiritual journey (especially for monastics)
- Fergo’s eyes were taken out and his legs broken
o In meditation, people cross their legs and close their eyes. Closing eyes represents letting go of one’s previous knowledge. Losing one’s legs symbolises how one ventures into darkness in meditation and previous abilities can’t be of help there
o In meditation, people cross their legs and close their eyes. Closing eyes represents letting go of one’s previous knowledge. Losing one’s legs symbolises how one ventures into darkness in meditation and previous abilities can’t be of help there
- Fergo persisted in fasting
o We need patience to go through the difficulty of the practice to reach the spiritual goal
o We need patience to go through the difficulty of the practice to reach the spiritual goal
- Fergo’s blindness and the raven asking what’s remarkable in the land
o Being in the dark represents how a meditator is willing to feel emptiness in meditation which clarifies his/ her vison, while a normal person will question what’s remarkable about that
o Being in the dark represents how a meditator is willing to feel emptiness in meditation which clarifies his/ her vison, while a normal person will question what’s remarkable about that
- Healing lake
o Meditation starts to heal one after he/she has been through difficulty
o Meditation starts to heal one after he/she has been through difficulty
- Fergo gives the healing water to other beings
o When one becomes a beautiful person internally to some degree, they can help and influence others positively
o When one becomes a beautiful person internally to some degree, they can help and influence others positively
- Wolf
o Desire. When desire is on one’s side as in this case of spiritual desire, it’s to their advantage. If it’s not then it’s to their disadvantage
o Desire. When desire is on one’s side as in this case of spiritual desire, it’s to their advantage. If it’s not then it’s to their disadvantage
- Mouse
o Mice live in fields which represent cultivation and control of environment. A more civilised form of desire than the wolf. A hard worker and helper who does duty without much thought or wisdom
o Mice live in fields which represent cultivation and control of environment. A more civilised form of desire than the wolf. A hard worker and helper who does duty without much thought or wisdom
- Mouse at Fergo’s feet
o Work
o Work
- Queen bee
o Worker. Bees have a honey and a sting. Likewise, when one has a spiritual aspiration and lives up to it one experiences joy. When one does not then one gets stung
o Worker. Bees have a honey and a sting. Likewise, when one has a spiritual aspiration and lives up to it one experiences joy. When one does not then one gets stung
- Bee’s wing torn by a cruel bird
o Like when one follows the wrong teaching, it only brings one down. The true teaching is delicate
o Like when one follows the wrong teaching, it only brings one down. The true teaching is delicate
- Bee rests on shoulder
o Dhamma enters through the ear
o Dhamma enters through the ear
- Fergo could rest while the beasts did the work for him
o The spiritual qualities we develop will fix things for us in difficult times
o The spiritual qualities we develop will fix things for us in difficult times
- Princess (with prince)
o Wholeness of self. When either party is lacking there is a lack of wholeness. When the princess was locked in a tower, it is like how as we purify our minds the impurities surface making enlightenment seem further and further away until we practise till we overcome all defilements. When one is enlightened everything comes together as a whole
o Wholeness of self. When either party is lacking there is a lack of wholeness. When the princess was locked in a tower, it is like how as we purify our minds the impurities surface making enlightenment seem further and further away until we practise till we overcome all defilements. When one is enlightened everything comes together as a whole
- Palace of flowers
o Developing our character and ego into something beautiful
o Developing our character and ego into something beautiful
- Fergo got on the wolf’s back leading all the wolves
o He is in control of desire and the pack makes him unstoppable in killing the egotistical, unkind and unfair king, like killing those parts in ourselves and destroying greed, hatred and delusion
o He is in control of desire and the pack makes him unstoppable in killing the egotistical, unkind and unfair king, like killing those parts in ourselves and destroying greed, hatred and delusion
- Wolves went peacefully back to their own home
o When desire doesn’t control you, it disappears when you no longer need to do something
o When desire doesn’t control you, it disappears when you no longer need to do something
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