Last Thursday, I wrote about finding God within ourselves. As I reflected on that premise, I remembered a story I've heard many times over the years. It's about something else that goes on inside of each of us - the fight between "two wolves."
According to most sources, including many of the the indigenous Native American nations, this teaching story is Cherokee, and is used to illustrate to their children the need to always focus on the positive. Here is one version I have heard:
A young boy comes to his grandfather for guidance. He is very angry at his friend for some slight or wrong. The grandfather smiles and says "I have also felt anger at those who have done so much wrong, feeling no regret for their actions. But anger and hatred hurts you, not your enemy. It is the same as cutting yourself and wishing that your enemy would die.
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good, and he does no harm. He walks in harmony with all around him. He takes no offense when none was intended, and he only fights when he must, and it is right to do so. And , even then, he fights with honor.
"The other wolf, though, is full of anger and hate. Even the smallest perceived slight will enrage him. He is always fighting someone, often for no reason at all. Because of his constant anger, he cannot think or act with honor. But it is helpless anger because it changes nothing.
"It is not easy to live with these two wolves inside me. Each wolf tries its best to dominate my spirit, and so they fight each other all the time."
The boy sat for some time, considering his grandfather's words. Finally, he looks up and asks, "Grandfather, which one wins?"
The elder smiles and touches his grandson's chest, just over the heart, and says, "the one we feed."
Walking a good path - living a life with Spirit - is not always easy. Nor should we expect it to be, especially in today's world. Like it or not, we constantly encounter negativity in one form or another. There are rude people, selfish people, people who live in anger... people who whine and complain, people who justify any means as long as it serves their interests.
At such times, it's all too easy to respond in kind. When someone makes a rude comment we can, without thinking, enter into a game of oneupsmanship in an attempt to hurt the other person more than we have been hurt. Or, we can feed the good wolf, and hold our anger in check. When another causes us harm in our lives, we can wallow in our anger and hatred for that person, or we can rise above base emotions to cultivate our higher spiritual selves.
This does not mean we ignore the wrong committed. Rather, we connect with the God within to respond with compassion and love, because we know that God is within the other person as well, even if they don't know it. We can certainly stand our ground, but by feeding the good wolf, we can do so with honor, and without unnecessary negative thought or action.
The two wolves are always within each of us. And at every moment of choice between right and wrong, they battle for supremacy. Learning to feed the good wolf is an important step in living a life with Spirit.
In peace,
Lane
According to most sources, including many of the the indigenous Native American nations, this teaching story is Cherokee, and is used to illustrate to their children the need to always focus on the positive. Here is one version I have heard:
A young boy comes to his grandfather for guidance. He is very angry at his friend for some slight or wrong. The grandfather smiles and says "I have also felt anger at those who have done so much wrong, feeling no regret for their actions. But anger and hatred hurts you, not your enemy. It is the same as cutting yourself and wishing that your enemy would die.
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good, and he does no harm. He walks in harmony with all around him. He takes no offense when none was intended, and he only fights when he must, and it is right to do so. And , even then, he fights with honor.
"The other wolf, though, is full of anger and hate. Even the smallest perceived slight will enrage him. He is always fighting someone, often for no reason at all. Because of his constant anger, he cannot think or act with honor. But it is helpless anger because it changes nothing.
"It is not easy to live with these two wolves inside me. Each wolf tries its best to dominate my spirit, and so they fight each other all the time."
The boy sat for some time, considering his grandfather's words. Finally, he looks up and asks, "Grandfather, which one wins?"
The elder smiles and touches his grandson's chest, just over the heart, and says, "the one we feed."
Walking a good path - living a life with Spirit - is not always easy. Nor should we expect it to be, especially in today's world. Like it or not, we constantly encounter negativity in one form or another. There are rude people, selfish people, people who live in anger... people who whine and complain, people who justify any means as long as it serves their interests.
At such times, it's all too easy to respond in kind. When someone makes a rude comment we can, without thinking, enter into a game of oneupsmanship in an attempt to hurt the other person more than we have been hurt. Or, we can feed the good wolf, and hold our anger in check. When another causes us harm in our lives, we can wallow in our anger and hatred for that person, or we can rise above base emotions to cultivate our higher spiritual selves.
This does not mean we ignore the wrong committed. Rather, we connect with the God within to respond with compassion and love, because we know that God is within the other person as well, even if they don't know it. We can certainly stand our ground, but by feeding the good wolf, we can do so with honor, and without unnecessary negative thought or action.
The two wolves are always within each of us. And at every moment of choice between right and wrong, they battle for supremacy. Learning to feed the good wolf is an important step in living a life with Spirit.
In peace,
Lane
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