The Surprise Present at Dawn

The Surprise Present at DawnThe town did not require wealth or prestige. Its citizens realized that living in harmony with nature and life's natural flow was the path to true prosperity rather than pursuing financial wealth. This was the Dao's method.

Mei was a young woman who lived among the villagers. Her parents, respected village elders, had brought her up in the Dao's ways, teaching her to live in harmony, to find joy in the little things, and to accept life's ups and downs without protest. Mei had always been an inquisitive person, and even though she fully comprehended the lessons, she still had a restlessness in her heart and a need for an unidentified object. She frequently sat by the river and gazed at the rushing water, wondering why she was unable to soothe her inner unhappiness in spite of the peace all around her.

Every year that went by made Mei's restlessness worse. Her uneasiness was incomprehensible to the villagers. They led happy lives, going about their everyday business with silent delight. Mei, however, was not content. She had devoted many hours to meditation, studied the teachings of the Dao, and listened to the wisdom of her parents, yet she still felt that something was lacking. The wisdom of the elders, the beauty of the surroundings, and the peace of the hamlet did not appear to be enough to satisfy her inner yearning.

She would frequently walk the forest, finding comfort in the peace and quiet of the natural world, and she would climb the little hill on the outskirts of the hamlet every morning to observe the sunrise. Mei felt the most at ease there, in the dawning light. Even so, she could not shake the feeling that something was missing. The sunlight was beautiful, but it did not make her feel any less empty within. She yearned for a more profound comprehension—something that would rouse her from this inward agitation.

Mei made a choice one fateful morning as the first rays of dawn started to peek over the mountain tops. She would get out of the village and find out what was making her uncomfortable. She had heard rumors about a solitary sage who lived far up in the mountains and was said to have a deep comprehension of the Dao. She thought this sage would provide her the answers she was looking for.

Mei packed a little bag and headed into the mountains before anybody in the hamlet noticed. Her parents were still asleep and were unaware that she had left. As Mei ascended higher and higher, leaving the familiar settlement behind and entering the wilderness, her heart raced with excitement. She merely followed her intuition, believing that the journey would bring her the necessary understanding, without having a specific direction in mind.

Mei found herself standing on a high ridge, gazing out over the area as the sun rose higher. The village appeared to be a small dot amid the expanse of the planet, far below. The feeling of emptiness persisted even though the moment's beauty—the mountains illuminated by golden light—took her breath away. In an attempt to clear her confused thoughts, she closed her eyes and allowed the breeze caress her skin.

A voice abruptly spoke to her in the silence of that moment. Like the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze, it was clear but gentle.

"Mei, why do you search?"

Mei turned around in surprise, but no one was there. She could feel the weight of a presence all around her, like though wisdom had come alive in the air, and her heart was pounding.

"Who says what?" Mei inquired, her voice quivering with fear and curiosity.

The answer, which echoed in her consciousness from within herself rather than from any specific location, was, "I am the Dao."

"The Dao?" Mei repeated, incredulous and perplexed. However, I have spent my entire life studying the Dao. Even though I am aware of its lessons, I still feel as though something is lacking. Why am I still looking for more? What exactly do I not understand?

"You search because you think you are apart from the Dao," the voice said kindly. It is your belief that you must obtain some external information or experience in order to find inner calm. In actuality, though, you are already a member of the Dao. The Dao cannot be sought after since it cannot be located. It is something that must be understood.

Unable to understand what the words meant, Mei scowled. However, why do I feel empty if I am already a part of the Dao? What makes me yearn for something more than what I have already had?

The Dao spoke patiently and calmly. The illusion of separation is what causes the sense of emptiness. You search because you feel that you are out of touch with life's natural flow. In actuality, however, there is no separation. You are not distinct from the rising sun, the flowing river, or the

mountains that remain silent. All of it involves you. You will discover that tranquility comes easily when you give up looking and just let yourself be.

Mei tried to comprehend while standing in startled stillness. Though she had a lot of questions racing through her head, she sensed a change in herself. With a voice like the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, the Dao went on.

The sunrise you are looking for is within of you. You already possess it. You already have the tranquility you desire. It is something to be experienced rather than something to be achieved. As the Dao permeates everything, it also permeates you. Everything will be as it should be once you quit trying and let yourself go with the flow.

Mei closed her eyes and took a long breath, allowing the Dao's teachings to become ingrained in her. She experienced a profound sense of internal quiet for the first time. A serene comprehension took the place of the frantic want that had propelled her for so long. Something that already existed within her was what she had been looking for.

The world appeared different as she opened her eyes. She was not separated from the river, the mountains, or the trees. They were manifestations of the same current that flowed through her. After realizing that all she needed was already in her grasp, she no longer felt the need to look more than the here and now.

"Thank you," Mei muttered, her heart brimming with appreciation. "Now I get it."

The greatest gift is not in seeking, but in realizing that you are already entire," the Dao's voice retorted. Peace comes from accepting life as it comes and giving in to the natural order of things, not from anything outside of oneself.

Mei experienced a deep sense of calm as the sun rose higher in the sky. A strong connection to the world around her had taken the place of the emptiness she had experienced for so long. She had discovered what she needed within herself, thus she was no longer looking.

Mei started back down to the village with a heart full of thanks. The journey had been one of awakening rather than seeking. She had learned that whatever she was looking for was already within of her, therefore she no longer needed to search for it outside of herself.

The villagers saw a difference in Mei when she came back to them. Her eyes gleamed with a fresh insight as she strolled with a gentle elegance. They could feel the calm that emanated from her, even though they were unaware of the specifics of her voyage. Mei had discovered the gift she had been looking for—not in faraway places or secret knowledge, but in realizing that she was already a member of the Dao and that serenity was something to be welcomed rather than something to be sought.

Mei spent her life with a profound sense of peace and contentment after that day. She had learned that everything she needed was already there, so she no longer felt the need to look for anything else. Additionally, she stood silently each morning as the sun rose over the mountains, observing the

dawn, realizing that her soul was filled with the same brightness that illuminated the globe.

The people gained knowledge from Mei's experience as well. They started to see that the Dao was a part of their life and not something separate or far away. They also discovered the serenity that had always been theirs as they accepted life's natural course.

Thus, the community continued to be a peaceful place where the residents coexisted peacefully with the Dao and kept their hearts open to the surprise gifts of every day. They recalled Mei's journey and the profound realization she had gained—that the greatest gift is not in seeking, but in realizing that we are already a part of the endless flow of life—each morning as the light reached the mountains.