THE NAMELESS BROOK
by Daniel

Once while wandering the vast expanses
of an arid land,
I happened upon a tiny brook that meandered aimlessly towards its own demise.
It was barely a trickle of warm algae that eventually disappeared into a stench ridden mudhole.

And as I stood at the edge of this
mosquito infested desert sink,
I wondered from where had it started its life's journey?
And without knowing why, I found myself tracing this poor wretched stream back to its original source and what I found
along the way filled me with wonder and awe.

At first I merely saw a muddy trickle, making its way over the hot sand. There was only sagebrush and black lava rock to
decorate its course but as I continued on, the landscape slowly began to change; a lone cedar tree here, a tuff of grass there along the lonely streambed and there was more water than before.

Off in the distance, stood a seven thousand foot
mountain peak
and I presumed that this is where
my adventure would take me.
So on and on I walked, passing by more grass and trees along the banks of this little brook.
The rocks within the brook began to change as well and now there could be seen a mixture of black lava rocks and an occasional white rock.

Finally, as I stood in the shadow of the mountain, the stream could be heard flowing with crystal clear waters.
There was an abundance of lush green grass, wildflowers grew along its banks, the croaking of frogs could be heard and little  fish were busily swimming in the cool waters of this nameless brook.

But I still had not discovered its source until I looked closely at a placid pool of water that rested at the very base of this mountain. There it was, bubbling forth from its own hidden depths. As I placed my hand into this natural wellspring, I felt the blessing of Life itself and its pulsating heartbeat brought me a deeper understanding of the Universal Truth of Being,
hidden within this tiny brook:

The mountain is the realm of the Eternal Now wherein lies the
Divine Pureness of the Absolute.
The wellspring is our source of inspiration that flows forth from the hidden depths of this mountain.
And the little nameless brook is our present life upon the physical plane of existence.

The white rocks are the manifestations of spiritual thought...
...the answering of selfless prayers, seen in the miracles revealed by the desire to live our lives in purity that all might come to know the
Light of Love.

When we live our lives close to the Source of All that is Good,
there is an abundance of Life and Love;
but as we drift away, carried on by the currents of self, the rocks turn black, the waters become hot and muddy and our life itself stagnates unto death.

May each of us take heed of the Nameless Brook's lesson and live every day of our life, close to the Source of All Life.

be sure to visit Daniel's wonderful website,
The Prophet's Candle