Two Wolves - A Cherokee Parable with Wisdom Needed Now

I've heard this before and always thought that it was the words of a very wise person who knows that all humans have these two very wolves inside them. You can never kill the black wolf and it will always be circling, just waiting for you to get weak, tricking the white wolf to leave the circle so that it may enter.

This is wonderful OP! Thank You

two wolves.. heh.. try holding two gods at bay. ;/
you need to feed both, by the way, harmony exists in balance, not asymmetry.

I thought I would share this pic I found.

reply to post by relocator


Thank you so much for posting the picture. I love the yin yang symbol contained within the picture of the wolf.




And thanks to everyone who has posted their thoughts and comments. Hearing that it reached some of you at just the right time and place, as well as hearing how some are passing the story to others, is genuinely inspirational to me. I am humbled, grateful, and inspired by you all.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals

The death of a loved one or a divorce are situations that will try our souls. It's in our responding to these crises that we discover who we really are. "Let no crisis go to waste" is a truth we can apply to our own lives for if we don't we fail to grow and fall further and further in to frustration, despair and anger.

thank you for that.
y'all have no idea the demons I have been fighting lately.
I want to grow,
I want the good wolf to win so badly.

Sorry, but the story is only ever half told, these days.

In regards to your own subconscious mind which the evil wolf is in reference to, this part of the mind is self feeding.
The reality is rejecting it, ignoring it, neglecting it or even denying its existence is what sets it off.
Rejecting its suggestions only compels it to escalate its suggestions.

Most importantly trying to control it only justifies it to escalate even more.

The grandfather tells the boy this, for to know how to feed both wolves is the true key to human enlightenment

reply to post by subtopia


Interesting thoughts - thank you for sharing them.

In my view of the story - the key is in the concept of feeding. I agree that ignoring or trying to manipulate/control the "lesser" emotions can cause difficulties. I believe that balance is achieved by acceptance and understanding, but encouraging and nourishing that which serves you best. In my mind, these are the "higher" or "good" emotions as told in the story.

Anger, etc, isn't to be denied and its experience is certainly part of the human experience. However, I don't believe that encouraging and asking this part of our nature to grow serves our ultimate balance.

Edit to Add: I don't know if you caught this reply posted earlier in the thread to a simliar viewpoint. In case you missed it, here is the post specific link. I expressed my thoughts a bit more fluidly there. www.abovetopsecret.com...

Do you know what happened to all the civilizations that rejected war. They no longer exist. Do you know what happened to all the civilizations that sought out war with all those that challenged them.

THEY NO LONGER EXIST

It is therefore the acceptance of what our human nature is capable of and then ensuring we can respond rather than react.

There are times when we need to feed the wolf of destruction to ensure we ourselves are not destroyed by those imbalanced by there want to selfishly gain.

Humans are still learning this concept even though they are predominately intolerant of the lesson. Even when it is themselves providing the lesson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Alpha of a wolf pack is capeable of both creation and destruction. It will provide times of rest, enjoyment from play and it will also instigate behaviours of dominance and agression if their commands are not heeded.

Humans learnt from wolves in fact the success of humanity has been due to our learned abilty to mimic other species.

Bumping this for those who are new or might have missed it.

A little honest reflection is good for the soul. Which one are you feeding?

reply to post by sad_eyed_lady


You cannot ignore either. In order to keep grounded and balanced we need a bit of both.
Sometimes we call it venting, but it is yin and yang.

Or so I believe.

When I ignore one side of myself over the other, I stunt and do not grow.

reply to post by Darkblade71


This is beautiful - I'm going all in on the truth -

You don't need to feed the evil one -

Just relax - we're only on earth for a short while - "ying and yang" bull#.

Be good - protect weak others - don't lie - don't cheat - don't steal.

And remove ones who do.

reply to post by Open2Truth


wise chief

but take care not to stop at the road sign marked 'Dualism'

for too long...

reply to post by Open2Truth


I wrote a book based on this parable. It is called "The Philosophy of Two Dogs" and is available on amazon and kindle

This concept keeps coming back to me in SO many different ways. I have been feeding my white dog and my life has improved exponentially.

You are your own dog...make it what you need it to be.

reply to post by Open2Truth


I love it...

S&F

sounds very gnostic...

reply to post by Happy1


Perhaps it is in what you feed that part of you.
That part of me comes out in art. I channel it out in positive ways. It is something that cannot be ignored though because when I do that, like I said, I stunt artistically, musically, and just generally in life. Perhaps the dark in me is not THAT kind of dark, so it is ok to feed it, because without it, I am not myself.

My interpretation:
There is The Third Wolf, The Lost Wolf, which is Us, The Balancer
By being aware of the Two Wolves, we slowly realize we are The Lost Wolf.
By being aware of our activities, we slowly become The Complete Wolf that Balance The Two Wolves
Being aware is how we feed ourselves.

reply to post by dodol


Is it really that hard to be just a good person?

One should be aware of one's faults, and always try to correct them. I fail miserably every day, but at least I know some of my "dark side" - like I said, I know I fail miserably every day.

Originally posted by Happy1
reply to post by dodol

 

Is it really that hard to be just a good person?

One should be aware of one's faults, and always try to correct them. I fail miserably every day, but at least I know some of my "dark side" - like I said, I know I fail miserably every day.

It will never ends If we try to correct our failures, one after another.
The best, IMHO, is to let go of our failures, and start a new fresh experience, at the present moment.

Anyway, I'm also struggling everyday

This one is good enough to be bumped annually IMHO. I hope some of the new faces at ATS get a chance to see and ponder this.