A man visited the Sage. He bowed in respect. The Sage asked, "What did you come for?" "For you to give me the truth," said the man. Replied the Sage, "I can't give you the truth." The man looked confused, so the Sage told him this story.
A man had what he called the best wine ever made. He bragged enthusiastically to everyone about how delectable it was to the taste. One day, he invited a friend to his wine cellar to see a bottle of this wine.
May I buy a bottle of this wine from you?
No, I'm sorry, this is my only bottle.
So, where did you get this wine from?
It was here in the cellar when I bought the house.
How many bottles of the wine were here?
This one bottle.
Then, if this is the only bottle, and you have not drunk any of it, how do you know it is the best wine ever made?
Because that is what the previous owner told me.
*Brian K. Wilcox. Meetings with an Anonymous Sage.
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There is a world of difference between knowing about the Truth and knowing the Truth. A spiritual path can point us toward Truth. A spiritual teaching is a shadow of the Truth. To know the Truth, we each taste it. No one can taste it for us, not even someone like Buddha or Jesus. So, I leave you with a question: How can you taste the Truth?
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*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2024. Permission is given to use photographs and writings with credit given to the copyright owner.
*Brian's book is An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love. The book is a collection of poems Brian wrote based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.
