Another take on Rol's question
>So, what fills this void? What makes people all march to the same
>drummer?
The following story, if our host permits it, was written by my friend and
colleague Doug Stanford and is shared with his permission. I can only say
it speaks to me about the emergence of shared purpose. It even speaks to
benchmarking and learning now that I read it again.
The Different Drum - Part 1
The village of Aniko nestles comfortably in a sleepy valley. Through the
valley winds a river which sparkles and chatters as it makes its way to a
small harbour where the boats of the local fishermen dance and play in the
sunshine. In the centre of the village is a shaded square where the
villagers entertain a bustling market once a week. Anyone coming to the
market would be struck, not so much by the colourful swirl of amiable
bartering which characterises most markets, but by the imposing, ornate
temple, which extends squat, solid and serene along the whole northern
side of the square. This is the temple of the K'ian monks, famous for the
temple drums which are used by the monks in all their ceremonies. The
origin of the temple is now forgotten, but the abbot's favourite legend is
that it was founded by grateful villagers after an earthquake had
devastated their neighbours up and down the coast. The tale has it that
the earthquake was preceded by a dreadful storm and many of the villagers
took shelter under their upturned boats. To ward off the evil spirits they
drummed on the boats with their paddles and they believed this action to
be the reason for their salvation.
Drumming has always or always since been a key part of their rituals. The
monks believe in a path to enlightenment characterised by rising levels of
meditation. At the first level the conscious mind is overloaded, in order
that unconscious mind is set free to meditate. The complexity of the
drumming techniques has evolved to achieve this overwhelming of the
conscious mind. Simultaneously with the rhythmic sound of the drums,
particular mantras and chants are used to trigger the desired meditation.
To begin to achieve the necessary skill, novice monks spend hours each day
practising the elaborate rhythms and techniques. As they gain fluency the
monks engage in ever more intricate and challenging patterns, able
eventually to do away with the need for chanting. It is said that a master
K'ian drummer, using the temple drums, can talk to each individual in a
crowd simultaneously so that he or she achieves a unique state of profound
meditation.
Such is the fame of the temple that people travel long distances to
experience the drumming for themselves. Visitors can observe the novices
training with practice drums in the temple grounds. On certain festivals
they might be lucky enough to attend some of the public ceremonies when
the famous temple drums themselves are used. Strangers may come prepared
for festivity, but are inevitably overawed by the aura of mystical
presence on these occasions. On rare instances, if visitors have an
introduction to the abbot, they may be allowed into the temple building
itself. There the temple drums are stored and cared for with exquisite
attention and reverence. Each drum has its own stand, richly and ornately
carved and gilded. Each drum has a rank, its own history and ritual and an
attendant monk solely devoted to its preservation. As these monks gain
experience they graduate to the next ranking drum. The fortunate visitor
witnessing this splendour will retain the memory for the rest of his life.
However, the visitor will not have seen all the temple drums; for in the
abbot's study in the heart of the temple is a small niche. In this niche,
there is a simple, unadorned drum; such as a child might play. There is no
sign to indicate how this drum comes to be there, nor what its importance
might be. That it is important is without doubt, as the abbot spends some
minutes in contemplation before it at the start of every day. The only
time this drum is discussed is when a novice is formally accepted as a
temple drummer, thus becoming a full monk. On that day the novice is
invited to the abbot's study where he hears the story. The abbot always
begins his explanation with, "This is a different drum, my son and ..."
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A BREAK IS USEFUL HERE
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The Different Drum - Part 2
"this drum is more important to us than any of the temple drums that you
have seen and now as a temple drummer will begin to appreciate for
yourself. Let me tell you its story. Imagine if you will, the village long
ago with the temple established but still in the flower of its youth. It
was a good time. The deities smiled on the village so that the crops
multiplied in the fields and the nets of the fishermen were laden with
their catches. The village grew prosperous and the K'ian temple too
flourished and congratulated itself on achieving such an amicable
relationship with the gods.
Years passed and still the village prospered. People for the first time
began to know wealth and the trappings it might bring. Then, and also for
the first time, the hearts of the villagers began to know envy. People
forgot what it was like to live in mutual harmony; neighbour would try to
outdo neighbour and soon they no longer spoke openly to one another.
Meanwhile the temple monks, secure in their success, continued to drum
their message to the gods; confidently ensuring the continued success of
the village. If the abbot noticed that there were more harsh words and
less happiness in the community he gave no sign. Villagers began to keep
themselves to themselves and travellers coming to Aniko were happy to do
business, but even happier to leave again.
Inevitably the wheel of fate turned. Good harvests became a thing of the
past as rain and disease destroyed the crops with unseasonal severity.
Fishermen returned with empty nets and it seemed as if even the fish had
abandoned the sea. The village was forced to draw down the reserves put by
during the good years. Neighbours blamed each other for the change in
fortune. They resolved to ignore the offenders and begged the monks to
help restore the village's favour with the gods. The monks shut themselves
in their temple and for days drummed their most powerful invocations. The
villagers hearing these efforts echo through the valley began to feel
reassured. However nothing changed and soon there were ominous mutterings
that it was the monks themselves who had brought the misfortune. Relations
between temple and village deteriorated.
One day, there appeared in the square a lean young man of unusual
appearance. He was neither a proper traveller or a beggar, but clothed in
a fashion unknown in the village. Sitting down beneath the great plane
tree he produced a small drum and began to tap out some melancholic
rhythms. At first he was ignored, being neither good enough to merit
attention nor bad enough to invite ridicule. Occasionally he would venture
something a little more lively. As the days went by and the villagers grew
accustomed to his presence one or two of the stallholders would give him a
small portion of their own meagre food and drink. The drummer was always
courteous and would give a lively flourish in acknowledgement of each
offering.
After a few weeks, some of the villagers took to gathering about the
drummer in the evenings. and small groups would sit and converse into the
night. The temple monks at first scorned this strange drummer. The monks
made mock of his style; he didn't even know the most basic of K'ian
techniques. However as the drummer began to draw more people round about
him in the evenings the monks began to view him as a rival and feel
resentment. The abbot, witnessing the stranger's performance from the
temple, was at a loss to understand his appeal to the villagers. For want
of a better solution, he resolved to do nothing for a month in the hope
the drummer would move on to another village.
Over the next month the drummer carried on as before. In the evenings, yet
more of the villagers would gather and neighbours who had not been on
speaking terms once more began to enjoy each others' company. Eventually
the abbot could stand it no longer. He asked two of his monks to fetch the
drummer to him so that he could learn his secret. The monks returned with
the drummer, bringing him to the abbot's study.
The abbot regarded the drummer for a while, then began by asking him what
he was doing in the village. The drummer replied that he was just passing
through. The abbot then asked where he had learned his drumming and how
did he achieve such a powerful effect with the villagers. The drummer
appeared genuinely surprised and laughingly stated that he had taught
himself to play and had not been aware of any particular impact he had on
the village. The abbot grew impatient, convinced that the drummer was
hiding something and making fun of him. The abbot insisted on knowing the
drummer's secret. Perhaps it was something to do with the drum he
speculated. It was nothing to do with his drum maintained the stranger.
You will discover for yourself he said, whereupon he presented the abbot
with his drum and took his leave.
The abbot was baffled by this behaviour, and that evening eagerly watched
to see what would happen in the square. As had become the pattern, the
villagers gathered around and talked. There was no sign of the drummer,
nor any indication that the crowd had even noticed his absence. The abbot
was puzzled and next day tried to track down the drummer but he was not to
be found anywhere in the village. The abbot was desperate to find out more
and that night he disguised himself and went to join the villagers in the
square. As he listened to the conversation about him, in no way faltering
from the drummer's absence, the abbot meditated on the mysterious
stranger. Eventually, one of the last to leave the square, the abbot
returned in a troubled and deeply contemplative mood to the temple.
>From that time to this, the K'ian order has conducted itself in a very
>different fashion and the village has again enjoyed prosperity.
At this point in the narrative the abbot always pauses before finishing
with the traditional challenge to the new monk. "So my new monk, you have
heard the story. Now, tell me how this drum has touched your life up until
now and how it will continue to do so."
If Price
Active Personal Learning
Pewley Fort Guildford UK
101701.3454@compuserve.com
--Dr Ilfryn Price <101701.3454@compuserve.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>