Once, on a boat on the Nile River, the grand Nile, there lived a golden song bird. Every day the boat’s owner, Seth, shared the bird’s company as he plied the Nile selling his goods. And the bird, because she loved to sing, would fly about and sing to all the people Seth came into contact with. She sang whether or not people purchased goods from Seth.
“Oh what a sweet bird you are,” one lady said, “And how beautiful and golden you are,” said another, and yet another said, and many said, “Can I give you something, something to eat, something to drink, pay you in some way?”
“Gold,” the bird answered to each, “I have no need, but if you want to give me something, give me gold.”
And that’s what people did, they gave the bird gold, and the bird stored her gold on the boat, Seth’s boat, which also housed a cat.
“Bird,” said the cat one day, “what do you plan on doing with all your gold?”
“Why are you asking,” asked the bird? “Are you planning to rob me?”
“Not at all,” said the cat, “I have no interest in gold. I’m just thinking you might need a few ideas, that’s all. We live on the same boat, why would I steal from you.”
“You’re right,” answered the bird. “I’ll tell you. I have no plans whatever. I just like looking at my gold, and the more I have of it, the more I like looking at it.”
“I understand,” said the cat, “what you should do. What I think you should do, is build yourself a house. A house of gold. I can help, I’ve studied architecture.”
“Great,” said the bird, “let’s get started.”
The cat got to work immediately, worked with a smile all day, and made the bird laugh. After several weeks the bird’s house of gold was complete.
“It’s beautiful,” said the bird, “beautiful,” and she stepped in.
“I agree,” said the cat and he closed the cage door, locked it, smiled.
Enlightenment is seeing from the point of view of the cat.
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