The road is crowded. There are many traveling, all headed for a far destination. Few who travel this road are aware of the choices that lie ahead. One, we shall call the Traveler, notices that some have given up and fallen by the wayside. Some have stopped and are considering if they should move on. Still, others are in a great hurry but the Traveler however is certain that what they all are truly seeking is further down the road and keeps moving.
Then something happens that the Traveler had not expected the road forked. He must decide which road to take. He looks to the right. It is hard to tell what lies in that direction as the road leads up and into a forest. To the left the road leads down into a lush valley. He sees marvelous cities, town’s farms and forest. It is a delight to his eyes and appears sunning and bright. The road into the valley is filled with travelers such as him. It is wide and a very beautiful road. The road to the left however has fewer travelers, is narrower and seems a bit unkempt. The traveler wishes to go left but he is of the curious sort and wonders why any would choose the road that appears least traveled. After a long while he decides to take the road to the right thinking, ‘If I find I do not like it I can return and take the road to the left.’ With that, he makes his choice and takes the road to the right.
Not that much further down the road the Traveler comes to another fork in the road. He is a bit annoyed by it. Again most take the road to the left. It is not as grand as the first road, to the left but still leads down into the valley. Now, the road to the right is not even paved saved for gravel. This annoys him even more, yet some do take it, which peaks his curiosity even more. He makes the same choice as before and takes the road to the right.
Walking on the gravel is not very pleasant but the Traveler moves on ignoring his discomfort. He wants to know what lies ahead on such an unglamorous and rough road.
A short ways on the road forks yet again. The gravel road leads left and there is but a dirt road to the right. Again most take the left and fewer take the right. The Traveler is perplexed at yet again a fork in the road. He looks at his feet. His shoes are scuffed and dusty from the gravel road. He reasons, ‘How much worst can it be,’ and takes the road to the right yet again?
This happens three more times. Each time the traveler takes the road to the right, until he comes to a fork where there is no road to the right, only a foot path. It is well defined and looks easy enough to follow. He takes the foot path to the right, determined the more to see what lies ahead.
He is to the forest now and it is hard to see what lies ahead. ‘Just stay on the path,’ another traveler tells him as they pass by and he keeps moving forward.
He travels quite a ways before he come to a clearing. In the middle of the clearing is a great rock. It seems out of place here. The path leads to the left of the rock. He has had few traveling companions along this way. He deeply considers taking the path to the left but by now he realizes what he truly seeks lies to the right. Yet, there is hardly any discernable path to the right of the great rock, only a depression in the grass.
For the first time he pauses and wonders if he has made the wrong choices along the way. ‘Maybe, he reasons, ‘I should go left and get to the valley. There I can make my fortune and then return to here and take the right road.’ As he reasons this he knows that if he does he might never come this way again. His heart burns in his chest to know what lies to the right. He turns to the right and begins his journey anew.
The Traveler encounters many hardships along the way. Often it seems as if the land its self is against him. It wants to push him down and to the left, yet he maintains his course to the right when there is little that indicates the way. Then he notices a small stream to his right. ‘I will follow that,’ he decides. ‘Maybe it will lead me to where I am going.’
By this time there is no road, no path, nothing to indicate the way, save for the stream. He doggedly keeps the stream in view. As he travels on even that becomes almost impossible. He scrambles over rocks and large boulders. It is extremely difficult. He sometimes feels like just giving up and remaining where he is, like some of those whom he had passed along the way. Then someone comes and passes him and he is inspired to keep moving, not wanting to have all his efforts up to this point go to waste.
His shoes are gone, his clothing is in tatters. Many scars and laceration cover his feet and hands. Yet, he continues, scrambling over rocks and boulders, pulling himself up by the roots of trees and sometimes holding on for dear life. He gets help from other travelers at times and also lends help when he can. ‘Follow the stream,’ some encourage him. He also lends that encouragement to others.
The Traveler considers the road he has taken. He comes to understand that he has not followed a road but a way, a direction. It has cost him everything that he once held dear. He now only has his great desire to reach that prize that other travelers, along the way have told him of. It keeps him moving, fighting his way forward using all his strength to keep to the stream. Nothing else matters to him now. He is committed himself totally to this way.
Finally the Traveler reaches a plateau. As he pulls himself from over the edge he stands and sees a sheer cliff towering before him. His heart sinks, it looks impossible to climb. He hears the sound of the stream. It was then that he realized that the stream was wrong. He had believed that it was flowing back the way he had come. After all water flows downhill, he had known this simple truth all his life. This stream was different, it was flowing up hill. It was at that point that the Traveler realized that he was not being given a direction to go in but that he was being lead to a destination.
