Summary

The poem "A Story of a King" metaphorically depicts the journey of self-discovery through meditation, where a king descends into darkness to rescue a Divine Child, symbolizing the reunion with one's inner self to perceive the world anew.

Abstract

"A Story of a King" is a narrative poem that uses the allegory of a king's quest to illustrate the transformative power of introspection and meditation. The king, feeling alone and searching for his lost queen, sends his ministers through five gates into the world, but they never return. It is only when he hears and follows a cry from the depths of his castle, symbolizing the subconscious, that he discovers a boy in a dungeon cell. The boy, representing the king's inner self or the Divine Child, asks to be freed and is brought to the throne. With the boy's guidance, new ministers are sent out, and this time they return with the king's beloved queen, symbolizing the reunion with the true self. The poem suggests that by closing off the senses and venturing into the darkness of one's own psyche, one can confront and release past sufferings, leading to a true understanding and experience of the world.

Opinions

The poem conveys the belief that true knowledge and experience of the world come from inner exploration rather than external search.
It suggests that the noise of the external world can distract from the inner voice that guides one to self-realization.
The narrative implies that suffering is self-inflicted by ignoring the inner call for self-discovery and healing.
The poem posits that the journey to the self is a solitary one, requiring the individual to shut out external distractions.
It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and embracing the neglected or 'imprisoned' aspects of oneself to achieve wholeness and true perception.
The reunion with the 'Divine Child' within symbolizes the integration of the unconscious into consciousness, leading to a harmonious and enlightened state of being.

POETRY

A Story of a King:

Descending to rescue the Divine Child to see the world anew

The following poem is actually a metaphorical journey of where meditation leads us, a journey of self-discovery. It is only by going into the dark depths of the subconscious, shutting the door to the clamoring of outside distractions, can we then look out onto the world and see it as it truly is, no longer veiled by our unrecognized suffering.

This is a story about a king Who lived in a marvelous castle, Full of intricate passageways, Rooms and halls.

This castle had five gates And each day upon awakening, Feeling alone, The king would send forth his ministers Out into the world through these five gates, Searching for the king’s beloved lost queen.

And each night he would await their return. Yet never did they come.

Then one day, After shutting the five gates, He heard a cry — One he had heard before But had chosen to ignore.

Sometimes it was a wail, At other times a simple, And sometimes just a sigh.

However, this time he followed, And down he went Past all the chandeliered halls.

Down

Into the darkness, Until he could smell The stench of the dungeons.

And behind a locked cell A boy he saw.

And the boy looked at him And said: Free me, father.

I want to come home.

And the king opened the cell.

With the boy in hand They ascended to the king’s throne.

And the king said: Sit upon the throne; For only suffering Have I caused this Court.

And the boy did. The boy called forth new ministers And told them to go into the world, And through the Five Gates they went.

And the king and the boy awaited their return.

To the king’s amazement they returned, Their eyes wide with joy.

And behind them She walked — The king’s beloved queen.

And the three ruled together as One.

Janaka was such a king.

And each morning Sight would fly from his eyes Smell would grab from his nose Taste would drip from his mouth Hearing await in his ears And feeling would reach through his skin.

And nothing he learned of the world.

Until he shut down the senses And journeyed past the glittering of the mind, Following the sorrow, The longing, Down past the stench of the guilt of wrongdoings.

Until he found the Innocent One Awaiting patiently in the darkness.

And when the Innocent One Returned to consciousness, Janaka truly saw truly heard truly smelled truly tasted and truly felt.

And truly learned of the world.

For he found his Beloved within it all!

This poem is an excerpt from my book, Beyond the Beyond: Poems to My Beloved Self.