The Cave
(A meditative prose allegory.)
In prehistoric times, man lived in a cave: dark, obscure, and cold. In time, he learned to light it and warm it with fire. The cave then became his home, his fortress, his country.
Around the fire, within the cave, civilization began.
All this is history now.
And yet, the story continues because, although man left the cave, the cave remains embedded in his mind.
……………………………
Some people can see only the shadows cast by the light outside, as in Plato’s cave. They call these shadows reality, and their lives are filled with fears. These people resist learning, least of all understanding and instead cling to their fears. Paradoxically, they find comfort in these fears without ever reflecting on them.
Others challenge the darkness, partially overcome their fears, go outside, gather sticks, return to the cave, and kindle a fire. Then, like their primitive ancestors, they feel warmth and safe, even though the fire illuminates only the space around them while everything else remains dark. But they have learned something crucial: if they dare to act, they can achieve what they set out to do. They have also learned that, when done collectively, their actions can bring comfort to all.
Others take a step further. With the fire already burning, they seize a stick as a torch and explore the cave. Whatever the torch reveals is enough to satisfy them, and so they return to the fire to rest and tell stories about their journeys. These people have expanded their horizons, mastered some measure of fear, and passed their experiences on to the next generation, thereby sowing the seeds of further exploration and discovery.
Others have advanced further and installed an electric lamp in the cave. It illuminates most of the space, though some corners remain in darkness. Because the light is stronger, they can see certain things more clearly; yet there are still shadowy regions they never dare to enter. These are people of knowledge, but not yet of complete understanding.
And finally, some have neither a fire, nor a torch, nor an electric lamp to illuminate their caves. Although darkness surrounds them, there is light and warmth within them because they meditate upon the struggles of man and nature. And through meditation, their cave becomes illuminated, for they have understood the nature of things and the struggles of man, and they don’t fear darkness anymore.
Thus, our common tragedy is not the darkness but the light.
We feel comfortable in darkness because it demands nothing from us; therefore, we enjoy living in sweet reveries. Light instead demands that we have our eyes opened. Therefore, we persist in turning our sight away from the light, embracing instead the darkness that keeps us safe but prisoners.
