Ithaca 37
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THE MONK
>
> A man is driving down the road and his car breaks down near a monastery.
>
> He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke
>down. Do you think I could stay the night?"
>
> The Monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, even fix his car.
>
> As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. A sound not
>like anything he's ever heard before.
>
> The Sirens that nearly seduced Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to
>his mind.
>
> He doesn't sleep that night. He tosses and turns trying to figure out
>what could possibly be making such a seductive sound.
>
> The next morning, he asks the Monks what the sound was, but they say,
>"We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
>
> Distraught, the man is forced to leave.
>
> Years later, after never being able to forget that sound, the man goes
>back to the monastery and pleads for the answer again.
>
> The Monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
>
> The man says, "If the only way I can find out what is making that
>beautiful sound is to become a Monk, then please, make me a Monk."
>
> The Monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades
>of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When you find
>these answers, you will have become a Monk."
>
> The man sets about his task.
>
> After years of searching he returns as a gray-haired old man and knocks
>on the door of the monastery. A Monk answers. He is taken before a
>gathering of all the Monks.
>
> "In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled the
>earth and have found what you asked for: By design, the world is in a state
>of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a man can know is
>himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective and willing to strip
>away self deception."
>
> The Monks reply, "Congratulations. You have become a Monk. We shall
>now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound."
>
> The Monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The
>sound is beyond that door."
>
> The Monks give him the key, and he opens the door.
>
> Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man is given
>the key to the stone door and he opens it, only to find a door made of
>ruby. And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and
>diamond. Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has
>become very clear and definite.
>
> The Monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."
>
> The man is apprehensive to no end. His life's wish is behind that
>door!
>
> With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and slowly
>pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly amazed to
>discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a Monk
>
> A man is driving down the road and his car breaks down near a monastery.
>
> He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke
>down. Do you think I could stay the night?"
>
> The Monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, even fix his car.
>
> As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. A sound not
>like anything he's ever heard before.
>
> The Sirens that nearly seduced Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to
>his mind.
>
> He doesn't sleep that night. He tosses and turns trying to figure out
>what could possibly be making such a seductive sound.
>
> The next morning, he asks the Monks what the sound was, but they say,
>"We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
>
> Distraught, the man is forced to leave.
>
> Years later, after never being able to forget that sound, the man goes
>back to the monastery and pleads for the answer again.
>
> The Monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
>
> The man says, "If the only way I can find out what is making that
>beautiful sound is to become a Monk, then please, make me a Monk."
>
> The Monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades
>of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When you find
>these answers, you will have become a Monk."
>
> The man sets about his task.
>
> After years of searching he returns as a gray-haired old man and knocks
>on the door of the monastery. A Monk answers. He is taken before a
>gathering of all the Monks.
>
> "In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled the
>earth and have found what you asked for: By design, the world is in a state
>of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a man can know is
>himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective and willing to strip
>away self deception."
>
> The Monks reply, "Congratulations. You have become a Monk. We shall
>now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound."
>
> The Monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The
>sound is beyond that door."
>
> The Monks give him the key, and he opens the door.
>
> Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man is given
>the key to the stone door and he opens it, only to find a door made of
>ruby. And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and
>diamond. Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has
>become very clear and definite.
>
> The Monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."
>
> The man is apprehensive to no end. His life's wish is behind that
>door!
>
> With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and slowly
>pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly amazed to
>discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a Monk
