On the way to the end of being human

A Saiyasart short story about me and mine and the values we associate with it.

By: Plaitamin

One afternoon, a preacher was walking along a remote path through the jungle. The way was deserted and besides him there was no one, only the trees and plants on the side of the road were his companions, no man and no house were to be seen. The jungle preacher had a small bag of provisions with him and walked along the way deeper and deeper into the jungle.

Through the scorching afternoon sun, the jungle preacher stayed in the shade of the trees, where he fell asleep at the side of the road after a short time. Due to the sound of an approaching carriage and the calls of the coachman, he suddenly woke up.

“Excuse me, is this the way to the end of being human?”the coachman asked.

“Yes, that’s what I was told, and that’s why I go there like everyone else,”the preacher said.

The coachman replied: “I’m on my way there with the carriage and I have luggage and provisions with me. But I still have enough space and can take you with me.”

The jungle preacher thanked him in the short: “Oh, thank you my lord, but with my littleness and without haste I prefer to go alone. I’ve already made it so far.”

The coachman continued to ask, “Why do you want to walk and turn down the convenience of the carriage?”

“Because my convenience is a burden on others,”the preacher declared.

But the coachman remained adamant and said, “No, no, you don’t burden me. I have enough provisions for both of us as well as other conveniences for the overnight stay.”

“I’m good. Just go ahead comfortably on the way to the end of being human with all your conveniences,”the preacher replied.

“My goal is to get there as quickly and comfortably as possible and then back again. That’s why I’m on the road with the carriage and the luggage!”explained the coachman.

The preacher then replied,“Well, my goal is to eventually arrive on my own, so I thankfully reject your offer.”

Later, when the coachman arrived at the end of the road with his carriage, he realized that the jungle preacher had already arrived before him, even though he had walked. Astonished, he asked, “Dear Sir, how can it be that you have arrived here before me, even though I had a carriage?”

The preacher looked at him and said, “By your load you carried. I, on the other hand, was traveling casually, and that’s how I got to my destination.”

Then the coachman asked, confusedly, “If you were here before me, why haven’t you moved on already?”

“To walk on together with you” the preacher replied.

“Then please get onto my carriage now,”suggested the coachman, but the preacher again denied: “No, my good sir. There is no way on which you could carry your load.”

Plai Tamin, Dezember 2013