The Two Wolves — A Story
A parable on the nature of the relationship of attention and the mind.
More and more and in widening circles (Christian and Buddhist) I have been hearing “The Story of Two Wolves” in different iterations. It is introduced as an old native (Cherokee or Intuit most often) story. That is because that is how the author Preacher Billy Graham chose to introduce it in his book “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life,” circa 1978.1
From the Crossing(G)enres Blog1 here is a quick summary of that story from Billy Graham:
“An old Cherokee grandfather is telling his grandson a story. ‘A fight is going on inside me,’ he said. ‘It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, resentment, lies, and ego.’ He continued, ‘The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The wolves are fighting to the death’
Wide-eyed, the boy asks his grandfather ‘which wolf will win.’
The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’”
Each time I’ve heard this story it has been in an effort to convey the wisdom that whatever we give our attention to in our mind, grows. This is a wise lesson and worth attention for sure. I would say the story conveys it well. After hearing it several times I have an observation on the ‘how’ of how it does so.
The telling I’ve been hearing of this story (above) starts out on a clear judgement of the wolves. One is “good” and one is “evil”. How we get where we are going is as important as where we are going. So starting off on a judgement, even if it is to a wholesome destination, is starting off on a journey of a thousand steps by stepping backwards.
Let it be said at this time that a journey of one thousand and one steps is neither better nor worse than one of one thousand steps. Yet, I do have a preference for a journey of one thousand steps if I’m choosing. A different ending fits my own personal experience, maintains the wisdom achieved previously and honors an addition component of equal importance: self-compassion.
‘The old grandparent simply replied, “Neither win should they continue to fight. I will lose if I cannot guide them; if they can’t learn to work as a pack.”’
I see a lot of the charm in Graham’s story. I think comes from its nature as being presented as a children’s story. It is simple, short and pleasantly in black and white terms. Considering the when of when Graham wrote this story (the 1970’s) it is consistent with cultural values at the time for children (and my experience says even for many children today). To encourage them to purge themselves of their own weaknesses. For me, what Peggy O’Mara said in her 1991 article “The Nature of Dependency”2 is the updated view that i’d like to have in my own life and see for my own culture.
“By rejecting the expressions of “weakness” in children — behaviors that we also reject in adults — we set children at war within themselves. For one thing, we establish an arbitrary standard of behavior that purports to dictate more about what is best for them than does their own inner experience. And for another, we pass along the habit of rejecting immediate responses in favor of intellectual rationale.”
Yes, everybody loses unless we work as a pack; inside then out.
1:https://crossingenres.com/you-know-that-charming-story-about-the-two-wolves-its-a-lie-d0d93ea4ebff
2. “The Way Back Home”(Mothering Publications, 1991), p55–59.”
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