Anselm sat in the secluded cave and watched the dancing beam of light that fell through a small crack in the ceiling. The walls of the cave were bathed in a mysterious flicker that made the shadows appear alive. He felt the coolness of the stone beneath him and the gentle trickle of water falling to the floor somewhere in the darkness.
The cave was his refuge. Here he could leave the noise of the world behind him and immerse himself in silence. Anselm had spent many hours pondering the mysteries of life, but today the atmosphere felt different. There was a tension in the air that he couldn’t explain.
Suddenly he froze. A strange presence broke through the silence. His heart began to beat faster and he held his breath. A figure emerged from the shadows, wrapped in a long cloak with a hood that hid his face.
Anselm stood up and asked in a trembling voice: “Who are you?” But the figure remained silent. It slowly approached him until it was standing right in front of him. Anselm could feel the figure’s breath and a shiver ran down his spine.
The figure raised its hand and gently touched Anselm’s forehead. At that moment, he was struck by a feeling of clarity that he had never experienced before. The boundaries of time blurred and he felt as if he existed in the past, present and future at the same time.
“I am Ephraim,” the figure finally said, its voice echoing in the cave as if coming from all directions at once. “I am here to reveal to you the essence of existence in the eternal now.”
Anselm felt his doubts begin to melt away. Ephraim’s words penetrated deep into his consciousness and made him see the world with new eyes. Everything he had previously believed and known now appeared to him in a different light.
“What does that mean?” he asked quietly, still overwhelmed by the transcendent clarity that flooded through him.
“Life is an undivided breath of eternity,” Ephraim replied. “There is only the present moment, and in it lies the entire truth of existence.”
Anselm nodded, unable to say anything. Ephraim’s words triggered something in him that he had never known before. A deep, inner transformation began in him, and he felt as if he really understood the true meaning of life for the first time.
“But how can I apply this to everyday life?” Anselm finally asked, still trying to grasp the depth of the insights that were revealed to him.
Ephraim smiled gently and replied… “But won’t it be hard to maintain that presence every second?” asked Anselm, his thoughts still circling around the words Ephraim had revealed to him.
“It’s only hard if you make it hard for yourself,” Ephraim replied calmly. “The truth is that you are already part of this eternal moment. It’s not about achieving something, it’s about letting something go.”
Anselm let these words sink in. He could feel something change inside him, as if a veil had been lifted that had previously clouded his view of the world. The darkness of the cave suddenly felt less oppressive, and the flickering rays of light now seemed to embrace him rather than disturb him.
“Let go,” Anselm repeated softly. “I’ve spent my whole life searching for a philosophy of life, a deeper meaning. But now, at this moment, it seems like everything I’ve been looking for is right here.”
Ephraim nodded. “Every breath is a part of the bigger picture. When you give up the illusion of separation, you will feel the oneness of life. Every experience, every moment, is an expression of this unity.”
Anselm closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He felt the cool, moist air of the cave in his lungs and slowly let it out again. A feeling of gratitude flooded through him as he realized that he had always been searching for something that had always been there.
“I understand,” he finally said. “It’s not about finding something, it’s about becoming aware of what’s always been there.”
“Exactly,” Ephraim confirmed. “In this awareness, you find true freedom. The freedom to experience every moment in its fullness, without having to evaluate or change it.”
Anselm opened his eyes and looked at Ephraim. The figure now seemed less strange and frightening and more like a familiar companion on his journey. “Thank you,” Anselm said quietly. “Thank you for showing me this truth.”
“The truth was always in you,” Ephraim replied, “I was just lighting the way.”
Anselm nodded and felt a deep, inner transformation. He knew he would never forget this moment. Everything he had experienced so far seemed to have prepared him for this moment. He had understood the meaning of life as an undivided breath of eternity, and this thought filled him with a deep satisfaction.
“What should I do now?” Anselm finally asked.
Ephraim smiled and said… Anselm smiled back and nodded. He felt refreshed and renewed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Then I’ll go,” he said firmly. “I will take this new knowledge with me into the world and live every moment consciously.”
He turned and walked towards the exit of the cave he knew so well. But as he approached the place where the narrow gap through which the light shone in was supposed to be, he froze. The exit had disappeared. Instead, he saw only the smooth, impenetrable walls of the cave surrounding him.
Confusion and panic rose up inside him. “Ephraim!” he shouted loudly, but his voice only echoed lonely in the cave. There was no answer. Anselm turned around, but Ephraim was nowhere to be seen. The figure seemed to have vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed.
Anselm touched the walls of the cave, trying to find a crack or crevice through which he could escape, but there was nothing. The walls felt alive, as if they were responding to his touch. It was as if the cave itself held him captive.
“What’s happening here?” he whispered as his fingers slid over the cold stone. “Why are you holding me here?”
He sank to his knees and closed his eyes. His breathing was fast and shallow, and he fought the rising panic. He remembered Ephraim’s words about the present moment and tried to calm himself. He concentrated on his breathing, feeling the cool air flowing in and out of his lungs.
Slowly, he began to calm down. He opened his eyes and saw the cave in a new light. It was not only a prison, but also a sacred space, a place of contemplation and inner reflection. Perhaps this was another test, another step on his journey.
“I accept this new reality,” he said quietly to himself. “I will practise the art of living in the here and now in this seclusion.”
He sat back down on the floor and closed his eyes. He let his thoughts drift and concentrated on the here and now. The cave that once held him captive began to change in his perception. It became a space of silence and peace.
Anselm knew that he could reach a deeper level of existence here, a level that might have remained hidden from him in the outside world. He felt as if the cave did not hold him captive, but gave him the opportunity to be truly free.
“I thank you,” he whispered, not knowing exactly who he was addressing these words to. “I thank you for this challenge and the chance to experience the true essence of life.”
The cave did not answer, but Anselm felt understood. He opened his eyes and looked around. The darkness and the coolness of the cave were now his companions on a journey that would lead him to himself.
“What should I do now?” he asked himself aloud, and as if the cave was answering, he heard a voice inside him… “Just be,” the voice whispered, soft as a distant breeze. Anselm closed his eyes and let the words sink in. He felt a deep calm spread through him, as if the cave itself was conveying this message to him.
He sat down on the ground in the lotus position and began to concentrate on his breathing. The coolness of the stone beneath him, the soft trickling of water in the distance and the gentle flickering of the ray of light that bathed the cave in a subdued glow all became part of his meditation.
Every breath he took became a conscious action, a step towards inner clarity. Anselm realized that the cave not only offered him external seclusion, but also the opportunity to dive into the deepest depths of his own self.
Over time, the cave became a sacred space of contemplation for him. Anselm spent his days in silent meditation, reflecting on the words of Ephraim and the essence of existence in the eternal now. He began to see life’s challenges no longer as obstacles, but as opportunities for growth and insight.
The hours passed without him counting them. The darkness and coolness of the cave became his allies on this inward journey. Anselm felt as if he existed in a timeless space where past, present and future merged into a single moment.
One day, while immersed in deep meditation, he had a vision. He saw himself as part of a great, universal breath that flowed through all living beings. There was no separation, only unity and harmony. At that moment, he understood the true meaning of Ephraim’s words.
Anselm realized that life in the cave had taken him to a higher level of existence. He felt a deep inner peace that wiped away all his doubts and fears. The cave, which had once been a prison for him, had been transformed into a place of enlightenment and peace.
“Thank you,” he whispered again, this time with a deep sense of gratitude and humility. He knew his journey wasn’t over yet, but he was ready to experience every moment with full presence, no matter where he was.
Anselm opened his eyes and looked around. The cave was still the same, but he had changed. He felt connected to all that is and knew that he would never lose that connection.
With one last deep breath, he rose and walked to the center of the cave. He knew that the cave no longer held him. It had led him on an inward journey, and now he was ready to take these realizations out into the world.
“Life is an undivided breath of eternity,” he murmured as he found his way out of the cave. He stepped outside, the sun greeted him with a warm glow, and Anselm knew he was ready to experience life in its full depth and beauty.
