“Because,” he replied, “to hurt another is to hurt yourself. This is the law of karma. Never forget, sometimes the legacy of your actions may be suffering, not only for you but also for others.
“You must remember, we are all created from the same formless energy. Therefore, what you do to one, you do to the world, and bad thoughts and bad acts always return to their rightful owners like a boomerang.”
“Is it possible to change bad karma into good karma or are we stuck with our bad karma for the rest of our life?” I asked.
Andy laughed at my question. “No, we are not stuck with bad karma. If you want to change it, all you have to do is change your negative habits to positive, and find some positive feelings such as love, caring, sharing. Hurt no other soul on earth. Know in your heart that you will never again do wrong to another human being. Then your karma will change to suit your thoughts and deeds. Believe me, Eric, karma is just like the ego, it is self-inflicted.
“Remember, my friends, they are your feelings and as I explained to you before,
"Our thoughts are the psychological threads
That weave our entire experience here on earth.
Weave your thoughts with love and respect for your fellow man
And you will weave a blanket of love and understanding for everyone."
Neither Janet nor I said a word. In my state of bemusement the silence that ensued seemed endless and immeasurable. My head was spinning as I tried in vain to understand what the gardener was getting at. But the more I tried to figure out what Andy was telling us, the more confused I became.
My mystification must have been very apparent because Andy looked me straight in the eyes and assured me,
“In simplicity lies the answers to all complexity.”
Once again his answer took me completely off guard and I asked him if he ever spoke in plain English.
Andy laughed at my question, then became very serious. “Please listen very carefully,” he said. “What is already known to us, usually appears quite simple. What is unknown to us, often appears complicated until it is known; then it becomes simple. Again, I ask you to look for simplicity and forget the already known.”
Andy smiled at the look on our faces, and then gently remarked,
“When the answers are complicated, it's the Intellect.
When the answers are simple, it’s the Spirit.”
After reflecting on Andy’s latest assertions for some time, Janet steered the discussion into a new course, asking, “Andy, what, in your opinion, is our true identity?”
“That, Janet, you will have to figure out for yourself. The true seers of this world often said it was a secret they couldn’t give away Now, when they said they couldn’t give it away, they didn’t mean that they didn’t want to give it away, or that they shouldn’t give it away. On the contrary, I’m sure they would have loved to share their knowledge with the entire world. However, they were wise enough to know that such knowledge was formless, hence indecipherable to the human intellect and intangible to our five senses. They knew that their words alone couldn’t explain the secret they carried in their hearts. This is why I say to you, one of the main things to remember is this:
“True wisdom is not discovered, but uncovered from an uncontaminated innate intelligence.
Wisdom lies beyond our delusionary ego and personal thought system.
Believe me, words do not convey the magnificence of the hidden treasures that lie within.
“This I can tell you. When the listener isn’t ready to hear such knowledge, that person will hear what sounds like foolishness and nonsense, just as your friends Tom and Peter did.”
His answer appeared to go well beyond answering Janets question, yet it intrigued me, so I said, “I was always taught that wisdom came with age so I’ve rather been looking forward to becoming a senior citizen.”
With a little chuckle, Andy assured me, “It’s unfortunate for you then, Eric, but the idea that wisdom has anything to do with age is a fallacy. A small child can be wiser than the oldest person alive. What you have to realize is that obtaining wisdom and obtaining experience in life are like apples and oranges; they differ significantly.
“Many go through life and accumulate a lot of experience, but accrue little or no wisdom. Others, even in a short life accumulate much wisdom.”
“Your idea of wisdom and mine must be quite different, Andy. What does the word mean to you?” Janet asked.
Andy pondered her question for a little while before replying, “To me, wisdom is a spiritual intelligence before the contamination of human thought. When found, it helps clear our personal minds of ignorance and misunderstanding. This, in turn, helps clean our psyches and creates a beautiful working reality.”
Janet caught her breath at the gardener’s words. “Wow! That’s quite a mouthful.”
“Are you talking about the wisdom of the ages?” I asked.
“Yes, I am,” replied Andy.
Janet’s eyes sparkled as she commented, “That’s so interesting, Andy. I recently watched a debate on television among a well-known scholar, a philosopher, a scientist and a theologian. They were asked by the show’s host if the wisdom of the ages was still of any value in this modern day. They appeared to have some difficulty coming to a definite conclusion. How would you answer that question, Andy?”
He thought for a short while and then replied, “The wisdom of the ages is a divine inner knowledge before the contamination of human thought. Such knowledge can never change, because it is spiritual by nature—not of this world, and has no form of its own. So my answer, in short, is:
“The wisdom of the ages is good for eternity.”
Sensing that we had had enough, Andy rose and he and Emily left so that we could mull over what we had heard.
Later that evening after our supper, Janet and I talked about some of the gardener’s unusual, yet simple, ideas—ideas that had already led us to some of the answers we have been seeking for a long time—powerful answers.
“It’s a mystery to me,” Janet told me, “that knowing so little about the workings of the principles can still have such a profound effect on someone’s life. Imagine the tremendous suffering that could be alleviated throughout the world if there were practitioners with a degree in the Three Principles?”
“Yes,” I replied. “It’s a shame there aren’t any right now, but Andy certainly seems hopeful there will be plenty in the future.”
I wished her goodnight and left her shaking her head, saying the whole thing sounded too simple to be believed.
Chapter Ten
A Deeper Inquiry Into the Power of Thought
It was another cloudless day and we were congratulating ourselves on our good fortune in having such great weather. I took full credit as I had bought an umbrella the first morning of our visit, and so, by the inexplicable laws of the weather gods, it was bound to stay sunny. At least, that’s what I told Janet. She didn’t seem entirely convinced but the blue skies held, so we were content. We were painfully aware that our time in England was running out and moments with Andy were to be taken whenever the opportunity arose.
This morning, he had agreed to meet us at a little shop that sold ice-cream cones topped by a flaky chocolate stick. Andy was happily munching when we arrived. Janet, who normally guarded her slim figure from such calorie-laden treats, put up a very weak protest when invited to indulge in their special French Vanilla. As far as I was concerned, two scoops of the incredibly rich peaches and cream was guiltless bliss.