The Theosophical Forum – October 1940

A FABLE — A. W. Ferguson

(Concerning the Finding of the Philosopher's Stone)

On a certain day when the sun shone like a great ball of fire and the sea rose and fell in restless fashion as if in keeping with the evermoving streams of life which made the City, on that day Callan, a young and noble Celtic Chief in whom a strange discontent moved and to whose young life already had come a sorrow and weariness, cried:

"I shall go away from here and search the whole world. Surely there must be some place wherein is to be found the Philosopher's Stone." On the hills surrounding the harbor were many men at work.

There young Callan beheld many men in rags pulling up great buckets of fuel from the bowels of the earth, and his heart was heavy. In the City many women and young girls sat like automatons before great pillars of steel, and the heart of young Callan was sad. And in the harbor men pulled up great heavy anchors and slimy dead fish; and the heart of young Callan was sick.

"I shall go away from here; surely, there must be some place in which is to be found the Philosopher's Stone."

And so it was that young Callan, now grown to manhood, went forth into the dark and solitary night. The road was bare. The hills were bare. Here was no happy companionship, but lonely days and black nights.

And on a certain day when the sun had reached its zenith Callan, who was now grown old and grey, came upon a certain City. And on the hills here and there were men in rags pulling up great buckets of fuel from the bowels of the earth. And in the City were many women and young girls who sat like automatons in front of pillars of steel. And in the harbor were men at work pulling up great anchors and dead fish from the sea.

And in the evening when the Sun like a great red disk sank below the horizon, Callan who was now grown wise fell into a peaceful sleep.

The Sun was a great globe of light whose pulsating life filled space. The Sun was the Heart of a Universe. The Sun was a great Being full of Conscious Life. And all the Universe was a part of that Life, in Harmony, in Tune, and in Love.

And Callan saw that the hills surrounding the harbor were Nature's plan. And the sea was calm. And the whole scene was an immortal sight. And there was no dark and solitary night. And the hills were of burnished gold.

And Callan went down into the city and among the great pillars of steel, among the men in rags, and to each and every one and to the women and young girls, to each and every one he gave a laurel wreath.

It was in this manner that Callan came by the Philosopher's Stone.



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