This is a short story that just came to be….

Two Owls

Sister jaguar steps out into what appeared to be a ‘normal’ day. Whatever normal means is yet to be determined. She was hungry so she set out for food.

She finds her prey and prepares to pounce, but the little four-legged animal disappears. Not a trace to find this little creature. Now what will our hungry jaguar do?

She continues through forest and is startled by a large snake. What appeared to be an anaconda due to the massive size of this creature. Both staring each other down, knowing they could easily swallow flesh of one another. But there was a standstill.

The serpent spoke, “I could easily swallow you whole, why do you not run?”

Jaguar: I am hungry and one bite could take you out, allowing me to feast for coming days.

Serpent: So what do we do about this hunger we desire to feed?

Silence filled the forest as both stared each other down.

Jaguar: What is this feeling of hatred I have for this moment and why do I want to devour you at all?

Serpent: This hunger you have is your own thought of hatred fed into our world. It is an instinctual pattern to feed off negativity.

What negativity?

Serpent: It is self perception of thought. You see me as a serpent, one who feeds of innocence. What one sees as negative, another sees as great power of love.

How is this love?

Serpent: If we observe the negativity of another, we see negativity in ourselves, acting upon our primal nature of obliterating this thought…so we choose to consume it and dismiss it. However…if we see beauty of another and all their hatred, self-sabotaging thoughts present, we observe wholeness in one another. We loose our hunger for hatred, feeding our taste for Love.

So if I eat you…it can be out of love?

Serpent: Maybe so, but chances are the hunger will no longer come from a primal source but higher taste for knowledge. Misinterpret this power and power consumes you.

I am confused.

Serpent: We are thirsty so we drink. Likewise we hunger so we feed. If we observe with sharpened tongue or curbed appetite, we no longer feed on flesh of another but accept food of another source.

What source?

Serpent: There is an unlimited source of food, many call it mana, a divine nourishment that provides all we need.

So will you eat me if I do not strike first?

Serpent: Maybe I will allow my primal hunger to feed or maybe I will measure the weight in your heart instead.

What do you mean, weight of my heart?

Serpent: Our hatred and past upbringings trigger us to do what we want to do on a level of our primordial ancestors. Our Love for the Canvas of Life can trigger great feelings of joy and gladness…no longer feeding off the prey we set out to consume.

I am still confused.

Serpent: Maybe you should go and ask Brother Bear?!

Confused, our jaguar hears the words of anaconda and sets out to find Brother Bear.

Searching for a few days, jaguar finds Brother Bear at his favorite spot near the river. Fishing for food, waiting for rainbows to jump into his hands.

Jaguar: Hey Bear…watchya doing?

Bear: Hunting for food. A bear has to eat. Why are you here? You know we do not get along?!

I know I know, but I came to ask advice.

Bear: What can I do for you today? Make it quick cuz you look like an easy target.

Jaguar: Are you kidding me?! I could take you down with one bite of your jugular?!

Bear: Maybe so but we are hear now for a reason,a reason yet to be understood.

Ok. Let’s just talk this through and meet mutually on the forest bed.

Bear: Fair enough, you may ask away.

Jaguar: I have a hunger that needs to fed. Serpent says we can feed off of our negativity or we can satisfy our desires whilst measuring the weight of our hearts.

Bear: Hmmm…sounds like a question for Brother Owl.

Jaguar frustrated, deciding to move on: Ok thanks…see you soon.

Bear: Look forward to our future encounter.

Jaguar sets out to find Brother Owl. Traveling for another couple of days to find the wise old owl.

“Who. Who.”

Jaguar: There he is. Hey Owl. Serpent sent me out to find the source of my hunger but then told me to visit Brother Bear. Not getting answers at the river bed, I was guided here to you.

Brother Owl: What is this hunger you desire to feed upon?

I am not certain. The day began like any other but then a greater hunger came over me. My instincts were to consume what I can, but then something changed within my own appetite.

Brother Owl: Hmmm…sounds to me that you are seeking to feed on Great Mystery itself?!

Jaguar: Ok, you are not making sense either, what do you mean?

Brother Owl: You are a jaguar and need to feed. We can choose to feed on primordial ancestral belief of food source or we can live off Living Breath of life itself.

Jaguar: Living Breath of Life?

Brother Owl: Yes. The Living Breath is a greater food source of what primordial think. We can feed off of anger and hunger for control or we can satisfy this hunger with a greater knowing that we are all one Breath.

Jaguar: I have more questions now, but something the serpent said to me weighs heavy on my Heart.

Brother Owl: Ah…I see what you seek. To find your answers to Living Breath and the weighing of owns heart, you may want to visit my sister.

Jaguar frustrated with another re-direct of another.

Ok, thanks I guess. I will go see your sister.

Brother Owl: Good luck.

Thanks?!

Jaguar travels to find Sister Owl.

Who cooks for you?

Jaguar hears Sister Owl and approaches with hopes of finding answers.

Jaguar: Hello Sister Owl. Your Brother sent me, as I seek answers to heaviness of my heart.

Sister Owl: Serpent has shown you the beauty of shedding skin has he not? You come to find the answers weighing upon your heart and to feed a great hunger within?

I do.

Sister Owl: Let us sit here quietly for a moment in sacred fashion. The answers we seek are already here in this circle we have opened.

Jaguar: What sacred circle?

Sister Owl:  When we come to this place of non-judgment, looking for answers of self, we call upon Ancient Ones, our Ancestors if you choose to believe, seeking answers that weigh heavy on our hearts.

Jaguar: Ok, not understanding fully but can we call on our ancestors so I can understand this a little better?

Sister Owl: Certainly. Clearing thoughts of what you thought you came here to find, whatever travels have led to this moment in time…let it all pass by, allowing wisdom of your own travels to come forward. 

Ok I will give it a go.

Sister Owl: Good now listen to the wind as it tells our story.

Wind speaks: We are here to feed a great hunger inside. What we feed these desires are makings of whom we become. Feed off of the anger  or lusting energy of desire and we consume everything we can…only to be left hungry. Feed off Unlimited source of All there Is and we shall no longer hunger.

Jaguar: But what about what serpent said. “You will weighed by the weight of your own Heart?”

Wind: Our desires feed a great void within us. Some may call it the existence of All There Is becoming a catalyst  to what we truly seek. What we seek is a divine presence or understanding of All There Is.

Jaguar: What is this “All There Is?”

Wind: Many have spent their whole lifetime finding It, but failed to. Seeking everything that gives power and feeling of accomplishment, consuming all they can to feed Void in their own belly. It is within our surrender of what is and what may be, we accept All There Is.

Jaguar: But I am a jaguar and I have to eat. 

Sister Owl thanks for wisdom of the wind and continues: The whole time you sought out the source of your nourishment, you missed all the wonderful things laid before you. Everything you came in contact with along the way can feed your hunger. The bigger question is what do you want to feed upon?

Jaguar: Oh, I see. The moment I wanted to eat Serpent, Brother Bear and the little ones whom I thought were easy prey, there was something else I could have fed upon?

Sister Owl: Yes exactly. We give in to our primordial and feed upon our natural instincts of whom we are. Raising are own awareness we feed off of something greater, becoming a co-conspirator or co-creator within this Canvas of Life.

Jaguar pauses to digest this great feast set before him: Hmmm..I am satisfied with what you have provided for me.

Sister Owl pleased with Sister Jaguar: From now on you will be known as Two Owls. Your wisdom comes from knowing who you are and what you can attain as you take each Step within this Canvas before you.

And that was the day Great Mystery came to Two Owls, giving deeper meaning to All There Is.

~Ani Po