My younger brother and I were in the car yesterday. In the middle of a traffic congestion, I told him a story. There is a plane of existence known as the Chessboard. Nobody could understand how it was created, why it exists and how certain rules or arrangements came to be as such, but that's just the way it is.
On the Chessboard, there are two very distinct inhabitants known as the black and the white. And both communities of monochromatic colours are made up of 16 distinct citizens, each with its own common role, prestige, capabilities and identity. They consist of one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns.
The chess pieces in its physical form might represent a certain level within a hierarchy, but for every one of them, lies a spirit that is present with its own way of thinking, it's own heart and its own characteristics.
Whenever the communities of both parties are in a battle known as a game of Chess, their ultimate goal is to trap the opponent's king so that it may not escape. The official term is also known as checkmate.
The king is the most important piece. According to the system that has been set based upon the hierarchy, all chess pieces serve their king. However, how the kings of each community rose to prominence, or to their current state of elitism is unknown. They could have been born into the role, or risen through a certain process to become the leader that he is.
The destiny and fate of each chess piece, along with the triumph and fall of both communities are decided by an 'external force' known as the universe. Some pieces might be aware of that, and some might not. In fact, each piece on the Chessboard may have the right to their personal ideas with regard to how they view themselves and their roles.
In this particular story of a game of Chess, there is a determined black pawn who's main compassionate goal is to secure the survival of as many of his team members rather than the conventionally targeted goal. For together, they make up the community and the brotherhood he comes from. And with that, his ultimate purpose carries a great deal of good that is oriented towards the well-being of his peers
This fictionalised pawn is aware of the fact that despite him originating from the lowest rank of the communal hierarchy, his act of service on the Chessboard and within the game of Chess actually stretches beyond the mere goal of assisting his team mates in checkmating the opposing king in solidification of their own.
He realises that by fulfilling the role and purpose of his existence, he is in fact 'part of a piece' that make up a grand design where the universe will run its course. And through him, he is determined to be used as a vessel 'in service' to the well-being of his community. He is a medium and a channel for which the 'external force' will be able to channel its course to the Chessboard, whatever the destiny or outcome might be.
He's saying to the universe that even as a pawn, he is definitely 'worthy' of being a part of a bigger plan that is for the betterment of his pieces. It doesn't matter if his team mates will give him the due recognition for his thinking, or if the societal system on the Chessboard has a limit as to the way things are done, but he will continue to live and believe in his own personal brand. And his personal brand carries a heavy dose of compassion, goodness and loyalty that will affect the lives of other chess pieces.
There are times when the black pawn in the interests of others, wishes it could play the role of a knight, a rook or a queen. For then he would possess the more powerful reach of these pieces on the Chessboard and not be limited to the move of only a single square. The dream position would then empower him with more effective resources to accelerate his compassionate cause and better implement the survival of his peers and his community.
The black king on the same existence plane however, is a spiritual coward being born into the elite role. Due to the innate privileges that were given by birth right, he never went through challenges in life, and doesn't understand the concept of what it feels like to be a servant of another. He never had to learn how to be considerate of others because it is not in his nature as king.
As a result, his social standing on the Chessboard and self-conjured ego became a priority over the well-being of his other chess pieces. Without the hierarchical support those who are lower, he will not be of significance. Hence, regardless if his heart is pure or egocentric, the king needs to constantly reaffirm his close supporters such as his bishops and his knights in order to remain socially significant.
The knights on the other hand, are one of the most well known pieces on the Chessboard. Revered for its elegance, L-shape moves, and the privilege of leaping over other pieces, the knight's physical appeal, role and capabilities are very unique. They too never have to deal with being viewed as a lesser entity by their king or other inhabitants on the existence plane.
Within the same game of Chess, one of the black knight's ambitious goal is to kill the white queen for the sole purpose of looking good in front of his king and his peers. The black pawn and the egocentric black knight might still, through their roles, fulfil the act of service to their communities on the Chessboard. However, the mission-driven energy that is emanating from each one of them into the universe is completely different. One for the compassionate survival of his peers, and the other for the shallow purpose of his ego.
As the game progresses to its final stages, the black knight did fulfil his goal of capturing the white queen and was heavily lauded by the king and his community for his achievement. Suddenly, in a twist of universal arrangement that the entire Chessboard didn't see coming, the knight's fame and achievement was short-lived as he was vanquished by the opponent's rook.
The black pawn however, who constantly kept the bigger picture in mind of his role as 'a vessel in service' throughout the entire game for the well-being of the black, unexpectedly made it across the entire battle field to reach the eight rank. As a result, the black pawn is effectively being promoted to a black queen for the pure-hearted spirit within of wanting to bring a sense of betterment to her community through her role and existence.
What happened there was that the universe picked up on the mindful energy that was being released by each individual pieces on the Chessboard and bringing their desires to fruition via a certain law. However with regard to the real purpose, genuineness, and meaningful intentions behind those desires, they certainly do affect how the universe will decide your fate and how to give you what you want.
"So in the end, which team won? The white or the black?", asked my brother.
Me:
"Well, let's just say that at this point, it doesn't matter. But I think the more important question you should be contemplating is, what kind of a chess piece are you in life?
The black knight who wants the white queen in exchange for unexpected short-lived fame? The egocentric king who's mere existence was because he happened to be born into the prominent role without contributing much significance to his community? Or the newly promoted queen who was rewarded by the universe for previously serving the successful role of a pawn that crossed the Chessboard in the name of service to the well-being and betterment of his community?"
Most people are pawns who never move up to the next level and are "used" by the knights and bishops. What level you are born into is the biggest determinant of where you stay.
ReplyDelete