Something Special

After many years of careful study, a humble scholar named Amani found himself at his wit’s end. “I have been researching Humanity’s primordial quest for meaning for decades,” he told his friend over tea. “I’ve followed every thread, traced the origins of every subconscious archetype, and just when I think I’m near a breakthrough, the answer I seek slips away.”

His friend rubbed his chin. “It is said that what you are seeking is also seeking you. Relax your search for a time and allow the answer to find you instead.”

So Amani took his friend’s advice and closed his textbooks for a season. He went about his life, filling his time with chores, hobbies, and conversation with neighbors, but he took little satisfaction in any of these trivialities. The big questions still loomed over him. What was the point of this existence? What meaning could be inferred from its constituent elements? What was so special about it? The matter troubled him deeply.

Three months later, Amani found himself back at his friend’s home enjoying their usual tea and conversation.

“How have the past few months fared for you, Amani?” asked his friend.

“They were fine enough,” said Amani, “but I had no epiphanies during those long days. I’m still where I was the last time we met for your special tea.”

Amani’s friend rubbed his chin. “Perhaps you need a different set of eyes to help you with the problem. A guru has taken up residents in the mountains. His ashram is a three-day hike from our village. Rumor is he is very wise. Maybe the two of you can find the answer together,” he said.

“I have no other options,” said Amani. “I shall go to this guru. I set off tomorrow.”

His friend nodded. “I’ll help you pack!” he said.

Amani set off the next day with supplies, an offering of his friend’s special tea, and his well-wishes. The hike was arduous, but Amani was determined to see his quest to the end. After three days, Amani came upon the guru’s ashram, nestled in a lush valley between the two largest mountains in the range. An attendant greeted him and inquired as to the nature of his visit.

“I have come to meet the guru of this ashram and to request his assistance in a scholarly pursuit of special importance,” he said. The attendant led Amani into the ashram. Amani was impressed at its complexity. It had gardens, huts for guests, a performance square, and even a small dock and koi pond.

“This guru must be well-respected where he is from,” he said.

“Indeed he is,” said the attendant. “Just through here.”

Amani and the attendant entered a modest home made of clay, stone, and thatch. There inside sat the guru, enjoying his breakfast. The attendant introduced Amani and explained why he had come.

“An educated man!” said the guru who jumped to his feet and offered Amani a seat. “Please, let us enjoy a hearty meal and speak of ordinary things.”

Amani sat and the two engaged in riveting discussion encompassing every aspect of life. Amani could not remember having such a rollicking conversation with another person before, even amongst his colleagues at the university where he taught. It was as if he and the guru had always been the best of friends.

Then, finally, the guru asked Amani, “Why have you come here, exactly? What answer do you seek?

Amani exhaled and wrapped his knuckles on the table. “I’ve spent decades researching humanity’s quest for meaning. I’ve read ancient texts, studied archeology, anthropology, history, philosophy, and everything in between. I’ve written extensively on the matter myself but, no matter how deeply I pursue my ideas on the subject, the answer eludes me.”

The guru’s eyes glowed with interest. “What is the central question?” he asked.

Amani folded his arms. “I find it impossible to formulate a concise question.”

The guru chuckled. “Please,” he said, and rose from his place at the table, “accompany me for the next three days. I think in that time you know what you need to ask.” Amani shook the guru’s hand.

During his first day at the ashram, Amani became more acquainted with the grounds and learned of how the guru chose to move his compound from his home province to the mountains.

“It was time for a fresh start,” he said. “Beginnings always proceed endings.”

The two were in the guru’s home planning a hike to the peak for some meditation when a great wind came howling down from the mountain tops. The noise and pressure were so strong Amani thought the whole ashram would be brought crumbling down upon their heads. Without thinking or hesitation, Amani leapt upon the guru to protect him from the falling debris.

“What has come over me?” thought Amani, “I just threw myself over a man I met only today! I’m completely exposed. If a stone falls on us I will be crushed, but I absolutely cannot let go of this man. He must live, no matter what! Even though I fear my own demise, I could never let harm befall him.”

The wind abated and the men composed themselves. The ashram still stood. The men spent the rest of the day cleaning up the mess. As the men were cleaning, the guru leaned his head out of one of the doorways and asked, “Amani, do you know how to ask your question yet?” Amani shook his head. The guru nodded and his head retreated back into the room he was cleaning.

The next day, the guru was given word that a traveling master would be visiting the ashram and giving a demonstration of his wisdom and power. So Amani and the guru worked all day in preparation to receive this master and his entourage. That night, surrounded by torchlight, the traveling master showcased his talents to his audience in the performance area. Amani and the guru sat above the crowd and watched unamused as he claimed to be able to levitate, commune with spirits, and transmute straw into gold. Amani and the guru exchanged some odd looks as this master, clearly a charlatan who cheated old and superstitious people out of their money, carried on with his demonstration of parlor tricks. The guru turned to Amani and asked, “Do you know how to ask your question yet?” Amani shook his head.

The third day arrived and Amani found himself sitting on the dock in the company of the guru, overlooking the koi pond and enjoying the serenity of the afternoon. It occurred to Amani that he had yet to give the guru the gift of his friend’s special tea. He brewed a pot and offered it to the guru, who graciously accepted.

“This is a special brew known only to a man in my village. He is my good friend and sends his greetings with it.”

The guru sipped it and sighed. “He has my thanks,” he said. He glanced up at the sky, listening to the mountain birds singing and the splashing of the koi in the pond. “Do you know what your question is yet?”

Amani sat back and exhaled. “Yes, I believe I do. It was so simple I overlooked it. My question is this- What’s so special about existence?”

The guru grinned, eyeing Amani with a sly look on his face. “My dear friend, why are you looking for something special?” A flock of bright white birds flew out from behind the guru’s house and into the sky. Amani’s attention was captured and his eyes were instantly opened. Following the birds with his gaze, he came to see the vast, incomparable beauty of his surroundings. The ripples in the water, the waving of the trees in the breeze, the sparkling rays of the sun, even the small motes of pollen in the air were all suddenly imbued with the most glorious meaning he had ever known. Amani fell to the ground bursting with laughter. The guru laughed along with him.

“So, it was a trick question. I was looking for something special among what I regarded as trivialities, but what could be more special than what is already special?” said Amani. “I assumed there to be something other than what was taken for granted.”

The guru rested his hand upon Amani’s shoulder. “Your quest has come to a satisfactory conclusion.” Amani thanked the guru. He returned home, threw away all his textbooks, resigned from the university, and became a guru himself, teaching from his front porch every day. He retained the mystical sight he had acquired at the ashram for the rest of his life, every moment of which brimmed with profound meaning.