As children, we grew up playing “King of the Mountain." Usually we would find a pile of dirt or sand then race to see who would be first to make it to the summit. The rules of the game were simple: whoever reached the top first had to keep the others from taking his place at the top—thus, the name—”King of the Mountain”.
However, once on top the “king” had to be aware of all the other players who surrounded the mountain and were permitted to do anything, including talking, pushing, shoving, tripping, attacking in a group or any other trick or method they could come up with to get the “king” off the mountain.
Staying king of the mountain was difficult if not impossible. You could not watch everyone at once, plus there were no rules for the challengers’ behavior. They could come at you individually or break into teams. There was only one certainty in the game and that was no matter how you tried sooner or later you would fall or be pushed from the top and then you would be one of the ones on the bottom trying to get to the top.
In many ways “King of the Mountain” approximates the way we do things in our society, except in the beginning there are no clear cut rules just like “King of the Mountain." However, once the top has been achieved rules are developed by those on top and those trying to get to the top. The top is only for a select few, but since there are rules staying on top is even more difficult. The rules are always put in place to limit those who have taken advantage of a situation that leaves others without fair chance to become king once the hill has been captured.
But even for those who have reached the top in this world find that all you see from the top of the mountain are the tops of other mountains with others standing on top of them looking at other mountains still to climb. Basically, ascending the mountain lets you know that there is no satisfaction in the material world. No matter how much we get and achieve it will never be enough because there will always be one more thing to achieve and one more mountain to climb.
I can remember thinking upon graduating from college that if I could just command a salary of $10,000 per year that I would have it made. Well I have achieved that goal and a lot of others since then and I am no closer to be satisfied that I was when I achieved my first goal. There will always be another mountain to climb and another challenge to seek.
Enough will never be enough. Ask any salesperson and they will tell you that your reward for climbing the mountain, is a higher and tougher mountain the next year. As long as there are mountains to climb, men will climb them and as long as there is something to be gained men will venture.
It is only when we recognize that gaining the world brings no more satisfaction than a good meal, a warm place to sleep, a roof over our heads and good companions and family, that we begin to gain wisdom and understand the fruitlessness of chasing dreams of material things.
With this realization comes freedom to do the things that are truly important to you and the world. No longer are you a slave to market mentality, but rather you become a citizen of the world and denizen of life.
Ra
However, once on top the “king” had to be aware of all the other players who surrounded the mountain and were permitted to do anything, including talking, pushing, shoving, tripping, attacking in a group or any other trick or method they could come up with to get the “king” off the mountain.
Staying king of the mountain was difficult if not impossible. You could not watch everyone at once, plus there were no rules for the challengers’ behavior. They could come at you individually or break into teams. There was only one certainty in the game and that was no matter how you tried sooner or later you would fall or be pushed from the top and then you would be one of the ones on the bottom trying to get to the top.
In many ways “King of the Mountain” approximates the way we do things in our society, except in the beginning there are no clear cut rules just like “King of the Mountain." However, once the top has been achieved rules are developed by those on top and those trying to get to the top. The top is only for a select few, but since there are rules staying on top is even more difficult. The rules are always put in place to limit those who have taken advantage of a situation that leaves others without fair chance to become king once the hill has been captured.
But even for those who have reached the top in this world find that all you see from the top of the mountain are the tops of other mountains with others standing on top of them looking at other mountains still to climb. Basically, ascending the mountain lets you know that there is no satisfaction in the material world. No matter how much we get and achieve it will never be enough because there will always be one more thing to achieve and one more mountain to climb.
I can remember thinking upon graduating from college that if I could just command a salary of $10,000 per year that I would have it made. Well I have achieved that goal and a lot of others since then and I am no closer to be satisfied that I was when I achieved my first goal. There will always be another mountain to climb and another challenge to seek.
Enough will never be enough. Ask any salesperson and they will tell you that your reward for climbing the mountain, is a higher and tougher mountain the next year. As long as there are mountains to climb, men will climb them and as long as there is something to be gained men will venture.
It is only when we recognize that gaining the world brings no more satisfaction than a good meal, a warm place to sleep, a roof over our heads and good companions and family, that we begin to gain wisdom and understand the fruitlessness of chasing dreams of material things.
With this realization comes freedom to do the things that are truly important to you and the world. No longer are you a slave to market mentality, but rather you become a citizen of the world and denizen of life.
Ra