A group of students were taking part in the Motu River rafting in New Zealand. The first expedition was led by Buzz, an American guide with a great deal of rafting experience and many stories to tell of mighty rivers such as the Colorado. With a leader like Buzz, there was no reason to fear any of the great rapids on the Motu. The first half day, in the gentle upper reaches, was spent developing teamwork and co-ordination. Strokes had to be mastered, and the discipline of following commands without question was essential. In the boiling fury of a rapid, there would be no room for any mistake. When Buzz bellowed above the roar of the water, an instant reaction was essential. The students mastered the Motu. In every rapid they fought against the river and they overcame it. The screamed commands of Buzz were matched only by the fury of our paddles, as they took the raft exactly where Buzz wanted it to go. At the end of the journey, there was a great feeling of triumph. They had won. They proved that they were superior. They knew that they could do it. They felt powerful and good. The mystery and majesty of the Motu had been overcome. The second time the students went down the Motu, the experience they had gained should have been invaluable, but the guide on that journey was a very softly spoken Kiwi. It seemed that it would not even be possible to hear his voice above the noise of the rapids. As they approached the first rapid, he never even raised his voice. He did not attempt to take command of the students or the river. Gently and quietly he felt the mood of the river and watched every little whirlpool. There was no drama and no shouting. There was no contest to be won. He loved the river. They sped through each rapid with grace and beauty and, after a day, the river had become their friend, not their enemy. The quiet Kiwi was not their leader, but only the person whose sensitivity was more developed than their own. Laughter replaced the tension of achievement. Soon the quiet Kiwi was able to lean back and let the students take turns as leader. A quiet nod was enough to draw attention to the things their lack of experience prevented them from seeing. If a student made a mistake, then they laughed and it was the next persons turn. The students began to penetrate the mystery of the Motu. Now, like the quiet Kiwi, they listened to the river and they looked carefully for all those things they had not even noticed the first time. At the end of the journey, the students had overcome nothing except themselves. They did not want to leave behind their friend, the river. There was no contest, and so nothing had been won. Rather they had become one with the river. It remains difficult to believe that the external circumstances of the two journeys were similar. The difference was in an attitude and a frame of mind. At the end of the journey, it seemed that there could be no other way. Given the opportunity to choose a leader, everyone would have chosen someone like Buzz. At the end of the second journey, the students had glimpsed a very different vision and they felt humble - and intensely happy.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:43:51 +0000
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