Do you know the story of the 2 wolves? Inside each person there are 2 wolves, one white, representing peace, joy, compassion, truth, hope, courage, kindness, trust, and one black, which is full of pride, arrogance, anger, wickedness. We heard the story like this: when the child asks his grandfather, a wise old Indian, what wolf wins in the battle inside us, he answers: “the wolf you feed.” The original story is not like that, those who took it and perpetuated it simplified things. The old Cherokee replied, “If you feed them properly, they both win. You see, if I feed only the white one, the black one will be on the lookout for attention. He will always be angry and fighting the white wolf. But if I allow him to exist, then both wolves can be in balance.The black wolf has many useful qualities, he is strong, fearless, tenacious, brave.The white wolf has the compassion and power to recognize what is good for the whole pack. Child, the white wolf needs the black wolf next to him, if you feed only one of them, then the two would quickly become uncontrollable. By compassionately feeding them both, they will be in harmony with you and the whole world. By paying attention to them, the struggle inside you disappears and calm appears. Once calm you can hear and feel the right path for you. Inner peace is the purpose in life for the Cherokee tribe. If you have inner peace, you have everything! “
I was amazed to discover the original story, because I also knew the simplistic version with the wolf you feed. Wisdom does not lie in choosing one of the fighting parties, inside or outside us, but in maintaining balance. The real fight is not to fight. It means feeding both wolves to be peace and harmony. You cannot choose only the light or only the darkness within you, because one without the other cannot exist.