She had been alive for quite a long time
She was just aware
There were colours that came and went
She was curious
But did not know what curiosity is
Nor what she was curious about
She just let things be what they are
And waited
Sure enough
Edges appeared
And things popped into existence
And place just popped into existence
Well that was certainly curious
She thought
And that was very curious
Because she did not know
What thinking is
It just appeared
Same as things just appeared

So she just watched
The thinking and the things
Some time later
It struck her
That she did not know
If things were there
Before she saw them
If thoughts were there
Before she thought them
And there was time
It just snuck up on her
There it was
The just now, the now, the to be now

One day she was walking along a path
And discovered that
She was walking along a path
She suddenly became aware
That she was aware
The world changed
It became full
Of herself and of other things
She saw them
And it was amazing
Before then she looked at everything
And they were
Part of a whole
Now when she looked
They were distinct things
She saw the world
For the first time

Now she saw
That things were happening
And she was there
And she could plan
And change
The behaviour of other things
She was part of the world

After a while the thought arose
Perhaps as I know I am seeing them
They are looking back and seeing me
Perhaps the same is in them as in me
It came to her that possibly
The world is full of minds
She pondered this
Then she thought maybe
Everything has a mind
The wind and the water
The mountain and the valley
The fruits and vegetables
The animals
People
My toes
I can control my toes
I can make them
Curl up, curl down
So perhaps some minds in the world
Can control other minds in the world
She decided that that
Was not unreasonable
Therefore there are
Big Minds and small minds
Big minds control
Floods and droughts
Light and dark
Injury and illness
Good fortune and bad
She called these minds gods
The small minds were those
That could only control
The other minds in their bodies
Animals and people had small minds

As time went by
She noticed that
She told herself stories
Lots of stories
Other people told stories
Lots of stories
She realized that
People are story tellers

She listened to stories for a long time
In time she discovered
That not all stories are true
So she embarked on a journey
To discover which ones are true

One day out in the forest
She came across a door
Just standing there
Upright and with a handle
There was a man sitting there
Cross-legged on the the ground
She was curious
She wanted to go through that door
She said to the old man
Can I go through that door
He looked up at her
Held up his hand
In two fingers he held a key
She stepped forward
He took the key away
He said
What is the question
She said I don’t know
He closed his eyes
She walked away
Nonplussed

So time went by
Yet the question always
Remained with her
She learnt many things
She learned about the world
From the largest things
To the smallest things
And things in-between
And she never came to a full understanding
Yet she never stopped seeking
But she felt unfulfilled
She learned about people and communities
She learned about individuals and groups
And she never came to a full understanding
Yet she never stopped seeking
But she felt unfulfilled
She learned about the mind
Its parts and their interactions
She learned about
Its consciousness and its unconsciousness
And she never came to a full understanding
Yet she never stopped seeking
But she felt unfulfilled

One day while she was deep in meditation
The answer came
And she felt a wonderful sense of fulfillment
The next morning on her walk through the forest
She came upon the door
The man still sat there
He watched her approach
She stopped in front of him
He looked no older
Than she remembered him
From years ago
He said to her
What is the question
She answered
I agree
Her smiled at her
And bowed his head
May I go through she asked
He gestured towards the door palm up
And bowed his head in respect
May I have the key she asked in a quiet voice
He said you have already unlocked it
She walked to the door
It opened at her touch
She turned back and said
It is a coin that has
What
On one side
And
Curiosity
On the other
It was never a question It was a statement
He replied it takes a long time to realize
That it is the journey and not the destination
That is living
She turned and walked through the door
And entered a flourishing life