In India, Ramananda said, there once was a sculptor commissioned to build a temple. As he approached a block of granite and began to chip away, the sculptor felt a strange resistance, as if the rock resented being poked and cut. The sculptor got spooked, and he moved to the next block of granite.
This second rock was more willing to be chipped and sculpted into the statue of a beautiful deity. When the sculptor was finished, he placed the granite on a high altar. He used the first block of granite as the stepping stone upon which pilgrims would stand when they made their offerings to the deity.
Later, Ramananda continued, the first stone complained to its friend, the carved stone. The first stone lamented its own destiny beneath the soiled feet of worshippers, while the other stone was now being revered and bathed in milk, honey, and rosewater. The second stone responded, “If you recall, you didn’t want to be touched, carved and chipped by the master.”
Excepted from Yoga Journal
“Once upon a Time”
By Dan Charnas
When my yoga teacher, Chris Anne, read this story to open a recent class, I felt a wave of relief run through my body as I realized that I DO want to be chipped and carved. And yet, sometimes I still resist. This sweet story reminds me to whole-heartedly say a resounding “yes” to that which chips and carves me.
Where in your life do you find yourself being chipped and carved? How much are you embracing or resisting?
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