[MD] the peak

[X Acto]

Once there was a traveler
who wanted most to arrive
at the goal of the mountain peak
of understanding.
the traveler sat at a crossroads of many paths
that lead to the peak and never moved from
meditiation.
One day
another traveler came to the crossroads
and saw the one meditating.
the traveler asked the meditator
why they sat meditating.
The meditator responed that they wished to reach the peak
but none of these paths were the peak.

The traveler chose a path and traveled to the peak
when the traveler returned the traveler said that the path
he chose reached the peak and that the path was enjoyable
the traveler spoke of all his expereinces.
the meditator said that the path was not the peak and was unimpressed

the traveler chose another path and left the meditator
to meditating.

when the traveler returned he said to the meditator that 
this path also reaches the peak but the path was most
difficult but most lovely he recounted his expereinces
the meditator replied curtly and assuredly that the path was not the peak.
and dismissed the traveler.

The traveler traveled each path and experienced many wonderful 
things, all went towards the peak, some did not reach the peak
some did. but all of them afforded many wonderful expereinces and some
not so wonderful.
When the traveler returned to the crossroads the meditator was half
buried under a land slide.
The traveler tried to free the meditator 
the meditator became very angry, leave me!
The traveler confused asked the meditator if not his wish
to reach the peak, the meditator replied the path is NOT
the peak!
The traveler laughed, all is the peak! you have allways been at the peak!
stretch! enjoy yourself! walk with me! 

all is NOT the peak!, paths are NOT peaks
not this path, not that path.

The peak is sacred! no path is the peak!

The traveler asked, then how does one reach the peak?

You try to decieve me!  be gone! the peak is to contemplated 
not to be reached, it is folly to think otherwise.
the meditator began to chant the ancient monastic chants.

the traveler looked out over the valley and spotted a lake
with a small village and began to blaze another path from
the crossroads and did not look back.