As a gift of love is given, it must be returned. An ECKist recently wrote to tell me of an incident that took place many years ago when he worked at a paper mill in a remote town near the U.S. – Canadian border. To do their shopping, the townspeople had to drive quite a distance along a deserted stretch of highway to get to the nearest city.
One weekend the man started on a trip to the city to pick up some supplies. On a stretch of road that ran through the forest he saw parked cars and a group of people gathered around the path that led to the woods. There wasn't much excitement in that remote area, so naturally the man was curious to see what had drawn so many people. He parked his car and walked over to join them.
As he worked his way through the crowd, he saw a big black bear sitting on its haunches, its front paws up in the air. Right away he spotted the problem : The bear had thorns stuck in his paws.
Being a practical sort, the man hurried back to his car and got a pair of pliers. He then returned to the bear and pulled out the thorns. As soon as he finished, the bear got back down on all fours and sprinted off into the woods. Gradually the people got back into their cars and went about their business.
The man continued on to the city and did his shopping. Three hours later he started back home along the same route. When he reached the spot where he had seen the bear earlier, he again noticed a bunch of cars parked at the side of the road. I wonder what's going on now, he thought. He parked his car, worked his way through the crowd, and found the very same black bear, this time intently examining the face of each person before him.
Suddenly the bear saw the man who had pulled the thorns from his paws. The curious crowd watched as the bear turned and ran a short distance into the woods, went behind a bush for a moment, and came running back with two pails of blue berries dangling from his mouth. He went right over to the man and stood patiently in front of him, the handles of the pails clasped between his teeth, until finally the man got the hint and took the pails from him. His deed accomplished, the bear quickly turned around and headed back into the woods.
Truth is stranger than fiction, and these things do happen. But where would a bear get two pails of blueberries? A bear in the woods can get anything he wants. I suspect there's a story behind this one that may someday be revealed.
It has to do with a berry picker out in the woods alone who suddenly sees a huge black bear standing nearby on its hind legs. With a ferocious roar, the bear probably says something like, "Sir, may I have those blueberries please?" And being an openhearted person, the berry picker no doubt replies, " Certainly; I can pick some more later " —- and runs off screaming.
The man who helped the bear didn't have any fear because he was filled with love. When one of the creatures of ECK was in need of help, he gave it without hesitation. Once given, the gift of love had to be returned —- and so it was.
As to the question "What is love." I don't have an answer for you. Until you can find the answer for yourself, you are living the letter of ECK, but you have yet to find the Spirit of ECK.
From the book, The Golden Heart © 1990 Eckankar – Sri Harold Klemp
