The Shepherd's Dream

Once upon a time two elderly shepherds were pasturing their flock amongst the rolling Irish hills, smothered in rich grass and clover. After their lunch, one of the shepherds leaned against the tree, stretched his legs out, tipped his hat over his eyes and fell asleep. The other one contentedly smoked his pipe, thinking about this and that, keeping an eye on the sheep.

Gazing absent-mindedly at his sleeping companion’s face, he saw his jaw begin to drop, and out of his mouth came a white butterfly. The delicate creature walked down the shepherd's chin, hopped onto his chest, and meandered on past his navel, down his leg, to the tip of his toes, and then fluttered onto the grass. The shepherd was curious so he got up and started to follow the butterfly.

It flickered its way down a tiny little parting in the grass towards the edge of a stream. Scattered across the water were seven stones. The butterfly skipped from rock to rock across to the other bank of the stream. The shepherd gingerly followed the butterfly.

Trailing the butterfly through waving reeds on the far side, he emerged in a clearing where an old sun-bleached skull of a horse lay on a little mound. The butterfly circled the skull and entered an empty eye socket. Inside, it explored every nook and cranny, and eventually came out the same way.

With the shepherd still following, it made his way back between the tall reeds to the edge of the stream, back on the rocks, back on the other side, along the narrow parting, back up the leg and stomach of the sleeping shepherd, and finally re-entered his mouth just as the shepherd started to wake up.

He stretched with great satisfaction, and looking up at his friend, asked,

“What’s the matter? Did I miss something? You should have woken me up.”

“You'll never guess what wonder I just witnessed.”

“You think you saw a wonder? Listen to this. I just had a marvelous dream.”

Propping himself up against the tree, he recounted, “I was walking down a very wide alley fenced by beautifully trimmed hedges. Coming to the edge of a vast ocean, I took a gigantic jump and landed on an island. Then I leapt to another island, and then another, and another, seven times, until finally I arrived on a new continent. For many weeks I pushed my way through an ancient forest, until eventually I reached a clearing and came to the foot of an imposing hill. There above me towered a gleaming white marble palace. I ascended the hill and explored the palace which I found to be completely empty. I roamed from room to room and wondered which one I should take.

“All of a sudden I had a strange feeling that I should turn back, so I left the palace, walked through the forest again, crossed the sea over the different islands, walked past the ancient hedges, and returned home. Then I woke up and saw you standing there.”

“Come with me, I will show you your dream!” exclaimed the other shepherd. “While you slept, a pure white butterfly came out of your mouth, and went on a little journey. I was amazed, so I followed it.”

He got on his knees and pointed. “You see that little parting there between the grasses? This was your large alley and the hedge you saw.”

He leapt to his feet and dragged his friend after him. “Look at that little stream—that was your ocean. You see the seven stones in the middle of the stream? These were your seven islands. Now let me show you what's on the other side.”

They hopped over the stones and reached the other side, where they pushed through the tall reeds. “This was your forest. And here is your clearing. You see that old sun-bleached skull? That was your marble palace.”

They looked at each other, knowing they had again shown each other the strength and purity of their souls, and said, "I wonder who witnessed the greatest wonder?" In the distance they heard church bells together, and the wind rustled their beards.

The outer universe is but a reflection of our inner Self.

See for instance Chuang-tzu’s sudden insight into this interpenetration of the two realms, in the next tale, “The Dream of the Butterfly.” As he woke up from his dream, he wondered, “Who am I really? Am I Chuang-tzu who just dreamed that he was a butterfly, or am I a butterfly that is dreaming that he is Chuang-tzu?”