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Plato's Cavedwellers

A story of enlightenment....

By pamela jonesPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
1

PLATO'S MYTH OF THE CAVE

In this story, the cave is underground.

A functioning community lived within this underground dwelling.

Each day, the cave dwellers went about their duties. At night, they settled in front of a huge fire from where they sat. The cave dwellers were chained and then seated with their back facing the fire set on a higher level. They viewed the shadows created by various statutes, persons, and artifacts that crossed the path in front of the fire.

The cave dwellers were amazed at the spectacular images somehow miraculously appearing on the front wall. The cave dwellers were not aware that the images viewed were simple shadows created by the fire. They were ignorant of the fact the images were mere shadows. They were content knowing the simplistic images appear to amuse and delight their state of being.

So day after day, they went about mundane chores and later settled, chained in the firelit cave, viewing the shadowed images on the front wall, never desiring more, never actively creating a better environment for a healthier well-being. The cave dwellers were perfectly content in their state of ignorance.

But, not all cave dwellers were content.

One of the cave dwellers grew intolerant of the mundane events. He was no longer content with the futility of viewing shadows, chained together in discorded unity.

He desired more freedom, more enlightenment, more beauty, more LIFE!

One day, as he wandered around the cave, he looked upward and discovered a large opening in the upper portion of the cave.

Brilliant light broke through the darkened cave. The cave dweller reasoned how he might climb toward this brilliant light consciously perceiving that, perhaps, the brilliant light materialized from a greater life outside the cave.

The cave dweller noticed a small ladder and stairs leading to the entrance above.

He was dumbfounded. How had he not previously noticed this brilliant light nor the exit to a possible greater life outside the darkened cave? He had lived his life totally unaware of potential brighter and greater possibilities to fulfill his lacking state of being.

How could he have been so ignorant?

How could any of the cave dwellers prefer ignorance to enlightenment?

It was time for the enlightened cave dweller to exit the cave.

He carefully climbed the small ladder and stairs till he was safely outside the darkened dwelling place, all the while following the brilliant light.

At first, the light was far too brilliant for his eyes to absorb. He found a small rock to rest while his eyes adjusted to the brilliant light. For all his life he dwelt in a darkened cave, never experiencing true light.

He only knew the man-made light of the fire. As his eyes adapted to the light now engulfed about this new world, to his amazement and wonder, he noticed that an entire kingdom filled with light and color and fragrances surrounded him.

Everywhere he looked, he could see life and creation, animals and trees, blue sky, and the source of brilliant light he previously discovered.

So many things to view and discover!

Where would he begin?

As he discovered and explored the splendor of the surrounding beauty, a thought entered his mind. I must share this wonderful discovery and adventure with other cave dwellers. Surely, when they all realize life and enlightenment and wonder appears just outside the darkened cave. They too will desire to leave the darkened cave and embark a new path, such as I. They would be set free from all the darkness. They would have an opportunity to live in light and all the wonderment of creation. They would have the opportunity to be enlightened.

So the reformed cave dweller found the entrance of the cave, climbed back down the ladder and the stairs to meet with the community of cave dwellers.

At first, he looked around to speak to a leader but could not find anyone interested in his findings.

The leaders could not and would not believe such fantasy existed. When the reformed cave dweller tried to entice various cave dwellers of the exciting news, many of them laughed, but most felt threatened. Such nonsense would not be allowed in this great habitat.

They were content with what they had.

It was all they knew.

Besides, many felt they were too old to embark on such fantastical adventures. Others did not want such heresy to fill the minds of family members.

So, the reformed cave dweller was shunned from their existence. When he tried to encourage themto merely open their minds to the possibility of enlightenment and adventure, the cave dwellers began to attack the reformed cave dweller. They threw sticks and rocks, beat and scorned the young man until the reformed cave dweller exited the cave, running upward toward the brilliant light and out the darkened cave.

He could only hope that his former cave dwellers would one day look upward, knowing a brighter and more satisfying environment awaited them outside their enclosed enslavement in the underworld.

Adapted by:

Pamela

humanity
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