The Philosopher's Stone (Short Story)

This is the first part of a short concept story im working on. I think you guys will definitely appreciate the direction of this bit. Much love 🙏❤

There was a boy in a land of scholars and businessmen, long ago when what we call ancient knowledge was closer to the public who chose to seek.

This boy through life heard many grandiose tales of a Philosopher's Stone, eternally sought after yet eternally escaping physical grasp. A stone that could send man to the end of time itself and turn mercury into precious gold.

So the boy, upon early adulthood, set course for the great Himalayas where he came upon a temple, one of many like it which housed monks who reportedly had ancient, holy secrets that they would teach only to the brightest and most dedicated.

So he entered the temple and sat before one of the monks, asking just one simple question.

“What is the Philosopher's stone?”

The monk laughed, near hysterically, followed by a chain reaction from the nearby observers.

“Why are you here?” The monk asked in a mellow tone, seemingly unphased having laughed at the boy seconds earlier.

The boy responds

“I am here to uncover the mystery of the Stone”

He laughs again, this time more so chuckling.

“No, no. That's what you're here for, right now. That's what you seek. Why do you seek this Stone?”

Silence ensues as the boy fishes for an answer hoping to not be dismissed by the opportunity before him.

After a moment he opens his mouth to speak and is cut off by the monk slapping his hand on the concrete.

“Honesty or falsehood!” He shouts, very matter of factly.

Another minute goes by before the boy gathers his response.

“Well I seek the Stone because I want to cross the bridge from the known into the unknown”

“Ahh, so you seek to seek!”

As the monk says this to the boy, the boy tries to interject

“Well, I..”

“You only seek the act of seeking itself. You seek the mystery!”

The boy responds, “well how do I solve this mystery?!” becoming confused and agitated.

“Well if you solve it then it's no longer a mystery! You are no longer seeking! Why would you want to solve the mystery?”

At this point, the young man is all but having an aneurysm attempting to process.

“I want to solve the mystery so that I can bring that knowledge home and to the people”

The monk laughs again, stands up and holds out his hand for the boy.

“Come with me” he says, and they walk through the halls until they reach a magnificent vista overlooking a rare sunny view of the mountains.

“If you wish to solve the mystery then you are doing it all wrong by solving the mystery. You see, the mystery is anything. The mystery is anywhere, just not here, just not you.

But I will tell you as we have told many others.

You are the mystery. The dying and undying, the rage and the calm.”

“Then what is this legend of the philosopher's stone?”

The boy asked.

“Well, I don't know? What is this legend of Shangri la? I've never been there. From the stories we hear it sounds quite wonderful.

See, when I meditate, I feel as wonderful as I want to. To me, that's Shangri la.

Your philosophers stone is just a representation of what could be. Nothing to bat an eye at.”

“

Submitted February 14, 2018 at 01:23PM by SlyNoBody337 http://ift.tt/2F0T4Ne