Tag: philosophy

A parable

There once was a boy who lived on an island in the middle of the ocean. It was a very tiny island, and not a very nice place. There were many poisonous insects and snakes on the island, and very little to eat. The boy was often hungry and wished to leave the island. But there was one thing on the island that the boy loved: in the very center of the island there stood a single tall mountain. The bravest islanders would sometimes climb this mountain, all the way to the top. From there, they would gaze at the island below and take note of what they saw. Upon their return, they would share what they had seen with the rest of the islanders. When the boy asked these brave mountain climbers what it was like at the peak, they would say:

“Our island may be small, but our mountain is the tallest mountain in the entire world. From its peak you can see everything. It is as if you could touch the stars and understand all that is below.”

The boy thought this was quite amazing, for he wanted to leave the island far behind, and understand all that was below the mountain too. If he could see the whole island, maybe he could find more food. He dreamed of the day when he too would climb the mountain.

Several years passed until the boy was finally old enough to climb the mountain himself. When he finally did, he realized that what he had heard was true. From the peak, he could indeed see everything that was below. He began to build a house on top of the mountain, for it was the furthest from the island he had ever been, and he wanted to stay there forever. But as the boys eyes became accustomed to far distances they became sharper too. On one very clear day he looked out and saw in the far distance something he had never seen before: another island, far across the waves. And there, rising above the horizon, another mountain. Not just another mountain, but a taller mountain.

The young man realized that he had been lied to. And so he angrily tore down the house he was building and used the wood to build a small raft and paddle to take him to this new island. He worked for many weeks, until finally the day came when he set off for the distant island. The ocean was difficult to navigate, and he did not know how to find his way through the rough waves, but he made it through, and eventually found himself on the beach of the other island. When the foreign islanders came to meet him, he said to them:

“I am looking for the tallest mountain in the world. A mountain from which I can see everything there is to see and understand all that is below.”

The foreign islanders smiled and said:  

“You have come to the right place, traveler, for this is the tallest mountain in the world. From its peak you can see all there is to see and understand everything that is below. The people on your little island are rather silly to believe the way they do, and we are glad that you at least have found your way to our superior island.”

So the young man climbed the mountain and found that what the islanders had told him was true: it was taller than his home mountain. In fact, he could see not only his home island, but also the top of his home mountain from this much taller mountain peak. He could even see the stars! Without the hills and forests around him, the beautiful night sky enveloped him, like a glittering blanket. So the young man decided to live on this new mountain. He built a house at its peak and he lived there for many years.

But one day, when the distant clouds had parted, and the mists had lifted, he could see in the far, far distance what appeared to be yet another island. And this island too appeared to have a mountain – the tallest mountain he had ever seen.

He realized that he had twice been lied to. And so he once again set out to find this new and taller mountain. He carefully disassembled his house and built a sturdy boat with which to sail across the waters. When he arrived at the new island he told the people:

“I am looking for the tallest mountain in the world. A mountain from which I can see everything there is to see and understand all that is below. I have climbed two mountains, but neither has been the tallest. I wish to climb your mountain and see if it is the tallest in the world.”

And the people of the island said:

“You have come to the right place, traveler. This is the tallest mountain in the world. You may climb it if you wish, but you will not be able to see very much from the top, only the stars.”

The man did not believe them, and so he climbed the mountain. It took many, many days to climb it. When he finally got to the top he realized what the islanders had meant. The mountain was so tall that its peak was shrouded in clouds and mist, and he could see nothing of the island below and nothing of the other islands in the ocean. The man was devastated. He gazed into the clouds for a long time without saying anything. Then he quietly said to himself:

“This is a fool’s errand. There is no such thing as a mountain so tall you can see everything there is to see and understand all this is below. And there certainly is no mountain so tall that you can touch the stars. Only a fool would want to live on a mountain top.”

Just as he was about to climb back down, he saw an old hermit walking towards him on the narrow trail. As the two passed each other, the old hermit stopped and whispered:

“I heard what you said, and I think you are wrong, traveler. To climb a mountain is not a fool’s errand at all, if you understand why one climbs a mountain.”

The man was startled to hear such a strange thing.

“And why does one climb a mountain?” he asked.

“You will know once you’ve climbed enough mountains,”  the old hermit answered, turning away.

And before the man could answer, the hermit was off and out of ear shot.

“That man is surely mad,” the man thought to himself.

But as he pondered the old hermits words, he began to see that even though he had not found the mountain he was looking for, he had nevertheless seen many wonders with each mountain he had climbed. And so he decided to continue his journey – not in search of the tallest mountain, but in search of the answer to the old hermits question: “Why does one climb a mountain?”

And so the man climbed many mountains. Some were very tall, others rather short. Some mountains jutted straight out of the ocean, while others were part of a great landscape of other mountains. From some he could see many miles. From others he could see only as far as the trees. Sometimes he followed steep, narrow paths to reach the summit. Other times he followed long, winding roads. From some peaks he could see beautiful and majestic forests below, while from others he could see vast and terrible deserts. Every mountain he climbed taught him a great many things about what was below that particular mountain. But no matter how many mountains he climbed, there were always more mountains to climb. Almost every night he slept under the open night sky, and under the stars contemplated whether his journey might be in vain.

“The stars are much higher up than any mountain,” he said to himself. “If only I could reach the stars, perhaps then I would understand all that is below.”

After many years of climbing and exploring, the man, now getting old, realized that he still had not seen everything there was to see, and never would. He still did not understand all that was below, and he still did not understand why one climbs a mountain. Dejected, he returned to the island at which he had met the old hermit.

“A mountain top which has no view is perhaps best for me,” he thought. “I will build my house there so as not to be reminded of my failed quest. At least there I will be a bit closer to the stars.”

As he emerged from the mist and neared the shrouded peak, he noticed a very old man sitting under a tree by the path. He realized to his surprise that it was the same old hermit he had met all those years ago. The old hermit looked up and him, and squinting in the sunlight, asked:

“So, traveler, have you found the answer you seek? Do you now know why one climbs a mountain?”

The man felt ashamed and so he answered very quietly:

“I have climbed many mountains and seen many valleys. I have stood on many mountain tops and slept under many stars. I have learned many things, and yet, I have not seen all that there is to see, and I still do not understand all that is below. The stars may know these things, but I regret that I have not learned why one climbs a mountain.”

The old hermit gave him a curious look and said:

“But it sounds like you have learned. You told me you wanted to understand all that is below. But if you wanted to learn that then you should have stayed in the valleys and not climbed any mountains at all. Mountains do not help one to understand what is below – they help one to understand what is above. You have climbed many mountains, traveler, and yet in truth, none of them were the tallest in the world, not even this one.”

The man started to protest, but the old hermit continued.

“The first time you climbed this mountain you wanted to see all that there is to see and understand all that is below.  You have learned that this cannot be achieved. So why are you climbing this mountain this time?”

The man thought about this for a long moment. Then he smiled and said:

“To be closer to the stars.”

When he had said this the old hermit laughed.

“And there you have your answer. I think you might finally be foolish enough to live on a mountain top.”

And with that, the old hermit wandered away, and the man decided to stay on that mountain top and live under the stars for the rest of his days.