The Two Wolves
Long ago, in the time before, there lived an elder of great wisdom and knowledge. He was a respected leader among his people, and many came to him for guidance and advice.
One evening, as the sun began to set and the stars began to twinkle in the sky, the elder called his grandson to him. The boy sat at his grandfather’s feet, eager to hear the wisdom that the elder had to share.
“My child,” the elder began, “I wish to tell you a story about a great battle that takes place inside each and every one of us. It is a battle between two wolves, one of which represents all that is evil, and the other, all that is good.”
The boy listened intently as the elder went on to explain that the wolf of evil is characterized by anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The wolf of good, on the other hand, represents joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
The boy looked up at his grandfather, his eyes wide with wonder. “Which wolf wins, grandfather?” he asked.
The elder smiled and replied, “The one you feed, my child. Will you choose to feed the wolf of evil, or the wolf of good? The choice is yours.”
The boy thought about the elder’s words long after he had gone to bed that night. He knew that the battle between the two wolves would be ongoing, but he also knew that he had the power to choose which wolf to nourish and cultivate within himself.
And as he grew older, he became a respected leader among his people, just like his grandfather, sharing the wisdom that he had learned with others. And so the cycle continued, generation after generation, as the battle between the two wolves rages on within each of us, with the outcome ultimately determined by the choices we make.
