Travel the Path with Heart

The heart sleeps until it is awakened to life by a blow.  It is as a rock, and the hidden fire flashes out when struck by another rock. – Inayat Khan


There is a story called The Wooden Horse, told by the Sufi Idries Shah. It is about two brothers - one a dreamer, the other a pragmatist.


The story tells the adventures of the dreamer, who wants to find his heart’s desire. He endures heartache and scorn, is sometimes full of despair, has many adventures, and eventually, by persevering, he attains his heart’s desire.


The other brother, the pragmatist, becomes very successful and works to improve the material lives of the people in his kingdom.


Which brother becomes king? The dreamer – after he attains his heart’s desire.


It is said that if you want to find your heart’s desire, you may first have to hear the story of the wooden horse.


I love this story.  At times in my life I have been the pragmatist, then the dreamer. First one, then the other, switching crazily back and forth.


When your heart starts to awaken and speak, do you listen or ignore it? The path without heart is dull and feels hollow and empty. The path with heart may contain many hardships and require much courage, but the joy within the heart begins to burst it open, and the spirit flies free.


If you are listening, you will hear it.


Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere.
They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush.
In my own life I could say I have traversed long, long paths, but I am not anywhere.
My benefactor’s question has meaning now. Does this path have a heart?
If it does, the path is good; if it does not, it is of no use.


Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other does not.
One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it.
The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.


The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path.


A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it.
On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it.


For me there is only the travelling on paths that have a heart, or on any path that
may have heart. There I travel… and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length.


And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. - Don Juan, a Yaqui Sorcerer (Carlos Castenada)