Tale of Two Birds

 Tale of two birds

Two birds, bound together in close friendship, live in a tree. One lives amongst the lower branches while the other, a dazzling golden bird, perches high up at the very top of the tree.

Let us call the lower bird 'bird 1' and the other 'bird 2'

'Bird 1' keeps busy all day long, hopping from branch to branch, pecking and eating the fruits of the tree with relish. In trying to find the sweet fruits, it tastes many sour ones.

The bird 2 has no interest in eating any of the fruits of the tree. It sits silently just watching the lower bird.

Once, the 'bird 1' tastes a very bitter fruit. It shirks away and stops eating. It looks up and sees the peaceful and luminous bird 2. The bird 1 is attracted by it and begins to hop up the branches.

Just then, it notices an especially nice-looking fruit and stops to peck at it. It finds it surprisingly sweet and tasty! “The bird 2 can wait,” it thinks. So, it continues to hop from branch to branch, tasting the fruits of the tree.

Every now and then, put off by the taste of an unsavoury fruit, it stops and looks upwards at bird 2, admiring its stillness and peace. It starts to hop up toward it only to be tempted by yet another luscious, sweet fruit.

One day, the 'bird 1' eats a particularly tart fruit. Totally put off by the taste and tired of chasing after sweet fruits, it becomes determined to reach the higher bird.

It rises up the tree toward the bird 2, staying focussed and carefully avoiding the tempting sweet fruits along the way.

Soon, a surprising thing begins to happen—the lower bird 'bird 1' begins to take on the qualities of the brilliant bird 2.

When it is very near tbird 2, it is irresistibly drawn to it. Finally, the 'bird 1' merges to become the bird 2.

There it realises that it was never separate from the bird 2 as there really was no 'bird 1' . It was all an illusion, like a dream that fades away upon waking up.

The l'bird 1' was essentially the radiant and serene bird 2 all along.--Mandukyopanishad.