PARABLE OF THE BUCKET BRIGADE
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Once upon
a time, when the village had thatched roofs and no fire prevention system, a fire broke out on one of the roofs.
The people
saw the fire and immediately formed a bucket brigade stretching from the central well to the fire. Through quick and concerted effort the fire was put out and the whole village saved. People in the town
were immensely grateful, and as a result some founded the Bucket Brigade Society which took to practicing faithfully every
week.
Soon the Brigade
developed a hierarchy. The chief bucketeer became very influential, in many ways
more important than the mayor. All the best people belonged to the Brigade and
to be a member meant to gain status in the community.
The society
wrote songs to be sung during their practices, and created elaborate and beautiful methods of passing the buckets. Even after
the village had been covered over and a fire department formed, the Brigade continued.
Then one day,
a young recruit happened to look down into the bucket she was passing: But there´s no water in the bucket, she observed with
surprise. After that, the young began drifting away, no longer especially interested in the Brigade at all.
That is the
trouble with ego religion. It retains the tradition but loses the substance. And the substance is faith in the heavenly mystery.
Ego religion has its rewards. It elevates you above your neighbors, assures you that you are right and virtuous, and makes
you happy that you are not "one of those." Ego religion can even justify hating and killing those with whom you disagree.
