Old and Wise

A young man consumed with a quest for truth and wisdom heard a story of an old and very wise man who lived on the peak of a volcano which rested on a remote island somewhere in the Pacific ocean. The man, obsessed with his quest set sail for the island to find the Wise old man and to gain wisdom from him.

The journey was long and arduous there were many times the man thought he was to be doomed along the way. Finally he reached the island and exhausted he fell into a deep slumber on the beach. When he awoke he looked around and saw a billow of smoke from the rim of the volcano, with much haste he climbed the walls until he reached the crest. There he saw a very old man in simple tattered garb peacefully smoking on a pipe of sorts, one that was fashioned out of coral.

Without forethought he loudly exclaimed to the old man "I have come to gain wisdom". The old man without looking up or missing a puff of his pipe replied, I was wondering when you would come, taken aback by this statement I asked what do you mean? Well, I have been waiting a long time for you; for me I asked? why have you been waiting for me? you and I have never met.

With that the old man lifted his head and as though a portal through time had opened I found myself staring into my own face. Who, Who are you I shouted as I slowly withdrew, I am what you seek,
I am wisdom!

I asked what do you mean you are wisdom and why are you in my image? He replied; wisdom is not a book you can read, a place you can go, or even a lesson that you can learn. Wisdom comes with Life and Life comes with living; the wise old man that you came here seeking is you after living your Life.

I finally understood that the things I sought could only come to me as my life unfolded and my experiences would provide me opportunities to gain wisdom. With that I set sail back to my home and pondered, was I the old man or was the old man me?

Pherhaps we were one...........