Story: “The Buddha Statue” from “Your Breath is Your Guru” by Galen Pearl
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In 1954, an insignificant Buddha statue made of painted and decorated plaster was being moved from a modest shed in Bangkok to a new temple. Weighing over five tons, the statue was too heavy for the crane and it fell to the ground. The fall knocked a piece of plaster off the base. When the workers examined the damage they saw something shiny underneath. That something shiny turned out to be pure gold. Removing all the plaster revealed an exquisite, solid gold Buddha.
Crafted centuries before, the statue was at some point hidden under the plaster, probably to protect it from in-vaders. Over the years, the true nature of the statue was forgotten, and the plaster statue was at various times housed in minor temples and even stored in a tin shed.
Imagine everyone's surprise when they discovered the existence of this priceless treasure, which was revealed by simply removing the false exterior.
We have forgotten who we are. Like the people who believed for centuries that the plaster coating was the real statue, we have bought into the illusion that we are what we think ourselves to be, when in fact, we are more than our minds can possibly imagine or understand. But if we're lucky, at some point life will drop us on the ground, and a little piece of our carefully constructed protective layer will chip off. If we dare to peek inside, we will see the golden glow and inherent beauty of our true being.
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
~ Luke 17:21
