An Ancient Understanding of Mindsets

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I am reminded of an analogy/parable found in three of the synoptic gospels in the Christian Bible (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and the Arabic Life of Buddha. Aside from the suppositions of “religion”, the wisdom in this story helps explain the significance of this important understanding. Its relevance is clearly universal despite its origin. 

Below is the first parable as written in the book of Matthew (the 1st of 4th Synoptic Gospels) in the 13th Chapter of the Christian Bible:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  (Matthew 13:3-9)

The second is a quote from “The Arabic Life of Buddha” Bilauhar and Budasaf‘s version of the parable of the sower.  In fact, it is almost identical to the one written above: 

“The sower is the bearer of wisdom. The good seed is the good word.  That which falls on the wayside and the birds steal is that which is only just heard, and then forgotten. That which falls on the rocky ground, which is wet and then dry when roots reach the rock, that’s the listener who is good for a moment, when he hears it and his heart is ready, and it seizes his intelligence, but he does not hold it in his memory, his intention or his reason. That which grows and gets to the point of giving fruit, but thorns make it perish, is that which the listener retains and understands, but when it comes time for action, which is the fruit, lusts stifle it and make it perish. Finally, that which falls on good ground and remains intact, grows, matures and prospers is that which the eye perceives, the ear retains, the heart preserves, and is put into practice with firm resolution, following the act of taming lusts and purifying the heart of defilement.”

Source: https://www.purplemotes.net/2013/09/01/parable-of-sower-arabic-life-buddha/

Despite being deemed as religious in nature, this basic truth can be found in many other readings or philosophies.  Interestingly, it describes the process of neuroplasticity in an accurate but parabolic way.  

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Michelle L Steffes is a Certified Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach and Author of two books: "Reframe & Rewire" (also available on Audible) and "The Machine Inside Me." Discover more and contact her through her website, IPV Consulting.