Becoming a Boulder Mover!

The story is told of a village in a high valley that had only one road access in and out.  The road was on a steep hilly side of the valley.  At one narrow point in the road, lay a half buried boulder which made passage difficult for both wagon and foot traffic. 

And those that would pass by would curse the boulder for its existence in their comings and goings.   Yet in the hurried busy lives of each, none would do more than give it lip service by complaining of the problems it created for them personally. 

Then early one morning with the rising of the sun, an old man of the village could be seen leaving town, pulling a cart loaded with a shovel, a pick, and other tools.  No one had any idea what he might be doing.  The day passed and as the sun set, the old man returned into town without saying a word to anyone. 

It wasn’t until the next day that word began to spread that the boulder in the road was gone and travel was found to be much easier.  Someone had dug around this large rock and had found a way to push it off to the side of the road.  No easy feat for anyone.  With the hole already filled in, it was hard to even know that a boulder had once occupied that place in the middle of the road.  Everyone appreciated the absence of this obstacle in their lives but with the busy pace of daily living, it was soon forgotten. 

Each day, there are boulders all around us that impede our lives and the lives of those we meet and know.  Boulder Movers selflessly work for the greater good of all and the better good of the one.  And the commitment of such wholesome acts leads to peace within; a most noble goal to have in day to day living.

How does anyone take up the path of a Boulder Mover?  It starts with a right understanding of how to eliminate suffering in our own lives and the lives of those around us.  It is not enough to abstain from committing unwholesome acts that hurt or harm others.  With compassion, we need to see the struggles of others and help when we can.  Right understanding and right thinking leads us to right actions. 

For me it started by recognizing how many Boulder Movers there already are in daily life.  I began to see the kind wordless acts that helped others through their day.  Soon, I realized that many people go to work for more than to just make a buck.  It was their effort at boulder moving for others.  And I was often the beneficiary.  As I picked a pear for my breakfast, I tried to imagine and count how many people it took to make my breakfast possible.  It seems infinite; or at the very least, an expression of the Infinite.

So, when I go to the grocery store and park in a nearby handicap space made possible by some Boulder Mover, I get out and watch for someone who is loading their car and ask if I can return their cart for them.  And as the “bagger” bags our food, I often ask if they have had their “Card Validated”.  Because in my book, they really are special.