The Hand, who thought he was Free
There once a Body, which had a hand — The Hand. The Body’s Stomach sent a directive that it was hungry. The Body’s Eyes were attracted to a cerrtain shiny red Apple and sent a message to the Hand to grab the Apple and bring it to the Mouth so that the Stomach could have Food to nourish the Body.
The Hand grabbed the shiny red Apple. At this point if the Hand had just done its automatic thing of raising the Apple to the mouth to eat, then this story would have no meaning. However at this point, the Brain interrupted the progress of the Hand with these words.
“There is nothing more important than Freedom for self-realization and enlightenment.”
During this pause between grasping the Apple and bringing it to the Mouth, the Hand began to really Feel the Apple with its Palm. While the shiny red of the Apple had attracted the Eye, it was the cool, smoothly, rounded feel of this Apple that appealed to the Hand. The Apple fit perfectly into the Palm of the Hand.
Normally the Hand just gripped food with its Fingers, but today, for some reason — maybe because of the Pause to Talk — maybe because the Palm itself had been attracted to the smooth rounded coolness of the Apple’s Skin — maybe the frayed nerve endings of the Palm were craving a smoothing out, a rounding, as it were, from the marvelous smoothness of the Apple — or maybe it was one of those Divine Accidents — we don’t really know, but today the Hand gripped the Apple with its Palm. Immediately, the Hand began to enjoy the marvelous smooth, curvy, cool feel of the shiny red apple in its Palm.
The Brain had been talking through the Mouth for quite some time, but now the Stomach was grumbling, more and more loudly, demanding food. The saliva glands of the mouth began excreting liquid in preparation for the incoming Apple. And all was normal, that is, until the Brain sent the command to the Hand to raise the Apple to the Mouth to be eaten.
At this point this hand, the Hand, decided it liked the feel of the Apple in its Palm. It felt strangely soothing. Inspired by the talk of Freedom, the Hand decided that it wasn’t going to give up the Apple, no matter what. The Stomach and Brain began demanding the Apple for the Mouth more and more insistently, almost frantically. But the Hand immersed in its own Pleasure and the intoxication of Freedom from the Body refused to cooperate. In fact, no matter what the Brain and Stomach said to the Hand, it would not give up the Apple.
Some of the Arguments that were used included demands.
Body: “We are hungry. Give us Food.”
To which the Hand replied. “I don’t’ care. This is my only life and I want to fulfill my desires and be free. And my desire is to hold this smoothly rounded cool Apple in my Palm. I refuse to give it up. Furthermore, I proclaim my Freedom from the Tyranny of the Body. Each of us is the master of our own Destiny and I’m taking charge of mine!”
The arguments also included reasoning.
Brain: “Listen Hand, we all sink or swim together. If we don’t survive because we don’t get the Apple, you won’t either.”
The Hand responded logically from his Hand perspective, “These are just scare tactics. You’re just trying to trick me into giving up my smoothly, rounded cool Apple. I have my own brain and memory system. How do you think that I play the Piano so fast. It is certainly not with your help, Brain. No offense, but you are far too slow.”
Stomach: “You may seem separate Hand, but we all belong to the Whole. We are all connected to the Body. We must work together toe survive. Please put the Apple in the Mouth.”
Hand: “The Apple? My Apple. And I refuse to remove it from my Palm. The smooth rounded cool skin feels so good.”
The Body also tried pleading. “I’m getting weak and dizzy from lack of nutrition. Please give the Mouth the Apple or we shall all die together.”
Hand: “Don’t try and trick me with your fancy new age holistic words. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.”
Eventually the Body grew weaker and weaker, with the Hand still clutching the cool, smoothly rounded Apple — until the end, when the Hand finally let go of that special Apple that had given him so much pleasure — realizing too late that he was really part of the larger community. The Hand thought himself an individual and Free. He only understood at the End that this Individual Freedom and his very survival were based upon his cooperation with the larger community.
