There was a Baker who once created a loaf of bread. And while he was working the ingredients together, rolling the dough and baking it, he worked and poured all of his love into the mixture, for he was no ordinary baker and truly loved his work and loved his life.
It came to be that when the loaf was baked, the love of the baker was infused throughout the whole of the bread, down to the flour and the water and the salt. Even more strangely was that the baker’s love had also infused the bread with many particles of awareness which allowed a very curious phenomena to occur. The very ingredients themselves became aware of their surroundings and became aware of themselves so much that they were able to call themselves ‘Me’.
As time passed these particles of bread began to notice the differences between themselves and the parts of the bread that were not alive as well as others that also called themselves ‘Me’. They marvelled.
“How could such a thing come to pass?” they exclaimed in wonderment. Of course, they did not remember where they came from but they continued to marvel and concluded that something must have made them this way. Some however, did not marvel as strongly as others and simply accepted what they were and reasoned, “What does it matter, where I come from? I am here and I am alive. This is all that is important.”
However, for those bits of the bread that marvelled, they began to explore and question their environment. “How did we get here?” and “Why are we here?” were the biggest of the questions. “Surely, something or someone has caused us to be this way!” they exclaimed.
Of course, those that didn’t marvel didn’t agree and didn’t care for these kind of questions. They were content with just being pieces of bread and left those others to their madness.
Those that marvelled began to search their world in an effort to understand it and find answers to their questions. When they reached the crust they stopped and saw nothing, because how could eyes made of bread see the air outside the loaf, or the metal of the tray or even the baker himself?
Undeterred, they continued their search.
Some in their cleverness, began to make devices made out of the bread around them and began to test and measure and analyse their world, all in an effort to understand. They began to notice that there were bits of air caught in the bread, but because the devices were also made of flour, salt and water, they could only see this air as nothing. In their cleverness, they were sure they could find answers. To this day, they still look, using their machines of bread.
Others began to look at themselves and began to notice something strange. They formed a new question “Why am I ‘Me’ and why do I think I am different from the others?”
Many concluded that because we are all made of the same stuff, the flour and water and salt, that they were all connected and were part of a whole and were content with that.
Others continued to look further inside themselves and noticed something even stranger. They began to notice that what made them call themselves ‘Me’ wasn’t part of the bread at all and was made of something invisible and intangible. Nevertheless they could notice it and they marvelled even more.
They began to notice a harmony, a peace, a ‘something’ that arose from this invisible force. Some of the pieces were content with that and lived their lives in peace and harmony and looked no further.
A very few pieces were still not content and looked further and longer. Most of the rest of the bread looked at them as if they were mad. “Why do you keep looking?” the others asked, “There is nothing more to know. Why not live your life like us and be content and live your life in peace and harmony?”.
These few had no answer to this other than they were not content with not continuing the search. And so they kept looking. Everyone else thought them mad.
However, bit by bit they began to notice that the peace and harmony was connected to something outside the bread altogether and that their peace and harmony were miniscule when compared with that which was outside their world. Still marvelling, they kept looking, but now they looked for a way to strengthen and even reunite with this source of peace. For the first time, they began to truly understand the Love that comes from within.
One day, a piece of bread succeeded in the search and found the Baker’s Love and for the first time it could see the kitchen and the Baker himself. It marvelled.
The piece then told the others who were looking how they too can return to the Baker and see things unimaginable. Unfortunately, some did not believe and stopped looking altogether. Others, when hearing about how long and difficult a struggle it was, despaired and gave up.
Some few continued to look. Now that they knew how to return to the source nothing would dissuade them from their difficult work despite the struggle that is needed to reach it. Eventually, some of these few also managed to reunite with the Baker and also reported back of the Love and the unimaginable world outside the loaf.
Those who were already content laughed.
Those who had given up their search mocked and abused.
Those still struggling found renewed hope and continued their journey as best as they could.