The Wolf of the Flowing River

The Wolf, the Hunter, hunts along the River. As he hunts, the thinks about his prey. "When I eat my food, it becomes part of me. Since it becomes part of me, I must have something in common with it. I know that when I die, my body will become one with the ground, upon which walks many things, above which flies many things, and within lives many things. That ground will sprout grass, which is eaten by my prey, which I will eventually consume myself. If that is the case, then what truly is the difference between us all? At the core, we are all the same.

"Furthermore, if I cease to hunt, all the grass will be eaten by my prey, and there will be none for their children. Their children will starve, and all die. Then will my people starve and die. Once the earth has consumed us all, it will stop producing grass, and all will become barren. Therefore, I know that I must kill in order to preserve all life. But I know not to hate my prey, for it is because of them that I live. Therefore, I love and respect my prey. I also know that I must not hunt simply for its own sake, or I will run out of prey: I must only hunt to sustain myself and my children."

So, as the Wolf continued hunting, the River eventually became the Ocean. The Wolf regarded the Ocean, and said to himself, "This River, like all other Rivers, becomes this Ocean at its end. Therefore, all Rivers are the Same, for their ends are the Same. Indeed, they never end at all."

AUM Shanti Shanti Shanti