The Key

Once upon a time there was a very big prison, where many people were sentenced for life. One day somebody came and pushed a key through a barred window with instructions on how to get free." Put the key in the keyhole, turn twice and push the door."

The people were so glad to be given a key from the outside that they hung it on the wall in a golden frame. After all, it was not an ordinary key; it was a Holy Key from outside.

People believed in The Key. They hung their hopes on it, approached it with requests, and told The Key their troubles. Special songs and prayers were offered to it.

Very soon Key Priests appeared, whose work it was to mediate between ordinary people and The Holy Key. They taught everyone that they were sentenced to suffer because they were all sinners. They promised Redemption in the name of The Key for those who would worship it in the right way. The priests also set Holy Days and fasting days. One of them was called "The Day of The Key", which was a big celebration in which they took The Key off the wall and sang, prayed and danced with it.

They put a box under The Key for notes regarding personal and urgent affairs. People asked for health, a partner in marriage, and business success. When tragedies occurred, The Key was the place they sought to take refuge from their pain. The prisoners put thin chains with miniature keys around their necks. Some wrote Important Books that explained in detail the. The Supreme Intention of The Divine Meaning of The Key.

In other places in the prison they hung copies of The Key. The Holy Days for these keys were a little different, but their function was the same. The prison was still the same prison, but one must remember that in every place where there is suffering, there are those who will offer consolation.

Leaders and politicians discovered the potential power of The Key. They could recruit members for Holy Wars, and they promised a direct and immediate transfer to Heaven for all those who would die for The Key.

After a long while, rumors started going around about people who did not believe in The Key. It was said they were afraid to talk because it would cause problems with the Management. Nevertheless, the number of heretics grew. Eventually they began to say out loud that The Key was barren, and that apart from its communal benefits, it was really good for nothing.

Many stopped believing in The Key. Educated people thought it was primitive. Scientists said it was impossible. Others were upset about The Holy Establishment. Young men and women who had been born in prison started to remove The Key chains from around their necks. They stopped attending The Key Ceremonies.

The worshipers of The Key and those who opposed it, argued everywhere. The two sides started to dress differently, to marry separately and to forbid their children from playing with those of their neighbors.

One day the man from the window returned to check why they were all still inside. To his surprise he discovered that all of the people were either worshipping the key or denouncing it.

"You have misunderstood the whole thing", he said. "The key is not to be worshiped or to be fought about. Just put it in the keyhole, turn twice and push the door!"

But no one wanted to listen. Half of them had a negative opinion about keys all together. They did not want to hear anything about keys. The other half believed in The Key blindly and did not dare to break The Tradition.

The Buddha talked a lot about freedom from prison, but he did not present His doctrine as a key, but rather as a raft. A raft that can help you cross the river that surrounds you.

The Buddha said, "With my raft, you can cross to the other bank of the river. It is a similar place; the only difference is that you will be Free. When you do get to the other side, you will also be free of the need to carry the raft on your head."

Ordinary people are living inside walls that are not real. The thing is that as far as we can remember, everyone we know was born inside walls and we grew up believing like everyone else in something mental to be real. The reason that the Buddha talked about the river of ignorance that surrounds us is because as a Buddha, he was not able to see them.

Go to your doors and push them hard, see what happens. Tell no one, but these doors are not even there.

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