Mindfulness Meditation (For Everyday Life)

his ignorance of the many ways things might unfold
or open up in life.
Of course, the dwarf in fairy tales is no outer person
either, but symbolic of the higher powers of the soul.
In this case, the selfish brother is unable to approach
his own inner power and feeling self with kindness
and wisdom. Because of his arrogance, the dwarf
arranges for his path to enter an ever-narrowing
ravine, in which he eventually finds himself unable to
go forward, unable to go back, and unable to turn
around; in a word, stuck. And there he stays while the
story continues.
When the first brother does not return, the second
brother goes forth to try his luck, meets the dwarf,
treats him in the same fashion, and winds up stuck
just like the first brother. Since they are different parts
of the same person, you might say some people
never learn.
After some time, the third brother eventually sets off
to bring back the water of life. He too encounters the
dwarf, who asks where he is going in such a hurry.
However, unlike his brothers, he stops, dismounts,
and tells the dwarf of his father's grave illness and of
seeking the water of life, admitting that he has no
idea where to look or in what direction to go. At that,
of course, the dwarf says, "Oh, I know where that is