“There once was an open-hearted man who invented the art of making fire. He took his tools and went to a tribe in the north, where it was very cold, bitterly cold. He taught the people there to make fire. The people were very interested. He showed them the uses to which they could put fire– they could cook, they could keep themselves warm, etc. They were so grateful that they had learned the art of making fire. But before they could express their gratitude to the man, he disappeared. He wasn’t concerned with getting their recognition or gratitude; he was concerned about their well-being.

The same man went to another village, where he again began to show the value of his invention.  People were interested there, too, a bit too interested for the peace of mind of their priests (obviously a less open-hearted class of clerics). The priests began to notice that this man was drawing crowds and they were losing their popularity. so they decided to do away with him They poisoned him, crucified him, put it any way you like.

But the priests were afraid now that the people might turn against them, so they were very wise, even wily. Do you know what they did? They had a portrait of the man made and mounted it on the main altar of the temple. The instruments for making fire were place in front of the portrait and the people were taught to revere the portrait and to pay reverence to the instruments of fire, which they dutifully did for centuries. The veneration and the worship went on, but there was no fire.”

Anthony DeMello