KOLOBOK ON THE PATH OF REACHING INNER INSIGHTS


(A Russian fairy tale written as a parody of the style of Hermann Hess’s novel “Siddhartha”)

THE RESULT OF SWEEPING

Once upon a time in a small wooden shack, in an old and abandoned village, in the dusty, tiny kitchen, inside a black, old stove, that was built at the same time as the houses’ foundation, the roll was baked. Inside the house lived an old woman and an old man, who were so extremely poor that sometimes went hungry for days. Once an old man has asked his wife to bake him a role, and so the old woman went to the storage shed and swept a couple of cups of flour, just enough to bake a small roll. The old woman, who’s face was magnificent with the reflection of the wisdom and experiences of the old age, placed the roll on the table by the window, shaded by the beautiful fig tree.

WITH SELF

The roll was thirsty for experiences; it wanted to explore the land that lay beyond the kitchen window that was so new and exiting. “He already knew to feel [life] in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with the universe”.

RABBIT

He skillfully jumped on the green grass, near the small shack, that will always remain in his memory as a strong and precious connection with his love ones, and went along the road to self-actualization. Soon, in the dark forest, where every branch spoke it own mystery, he met a rabbit. “Little roll,” said the rabbit cheerfully, “I am going to eat you!” The roll sang in reply: “I am a little roll, made from flour swept from the shed, baked in the oven and cooled by the window. I ran away from the old woman, I ran away from the old man, and I will run away from you.”

AWAKENING

The roll realized that the path will not be an easy one that he will need to master all his skills in order to come to an end. “Within [Kolobok] there slowly grew and ripened the knowledge of what wisdom really was and the goal of his long seeking. It was nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling, and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life.”

WOLF

Some time after he met a wolf, that was one f the most fearful creature in the forest. With his glazing eyes the wolf slowly said: “Little roll, I am going to eat you!” The roll again gave the same answer: “I am a little roll, made from flour swept from the shed, baked in the oven and cooled by the window. I ran way from the old woman, I ran away from the old man, I ran away from the rabbit, and I will run way from you.”

MORE HARDSHIPS AND A MEETING WITH A SLY FOX

When running away from the wolf, Kolobok, understood another important moral. “Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”
The he met the most beautiful creature in the forest with piercing eyes and a golden, shiny fur. With her melancholy voice she said to Kolobok: “Hello, little roll, aren’t you a pretty thing?” The roll was greatly pleased by the praise, and sang, “I am a little roll, made from flour swept from the shed, baked in the oven and cooled by the window. I ran away from the old woman, I ran away from the old man, I ran away from the rabbit, I ran away from the wolf, and I will run away from you!”

ON THE GLADE

“[Kolobok] walked through the forest, was already far from the [village], and
knew nothing but that one thing, that there was no going back for him,
that this life… was over and done away with, and that he had tasted all of it, sucked everything out of it until he was disgusted with it.”

WIT

After he sang his song the fox asked him to repeat it to her, thus she was getting old and could not hear him very well. She politely asked the roll to sit on her nose so she would be able to hear him better.

OM

“From that hour [Kolobok] ceased to fight against his destiny. There shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one who is no longer confronted with conflict of desires, who has found salvation, who is in harmony with the stream of events, with the stream of life, full of sympathy and compassion, surrendering to the stream, belonging to the unity of all things.”

FAITE

It was flattered that the fox liked the way it sang and quickly jumped on her nose. When Kolobok just sang the first line, the fox opened her mouth and gobbled it up. “[T]hen the great song of a thousand voices consisted of on word: Om-perfection” sounded throughout the forest.

(c) ::verita nuda:: made with style