Deep in the jungles and wastelands off an island off Kamchatka, a new mountain broke away with a thunderous cracking noise from a great parent mountain and a large crack ran through the earth. It shook itself, looked around and immediately began to gloat. It was really an impressive happening, this breaking away, but he had probably not felt real fear because his parent - the great parent mountain - had prepared him thoroughly for what awaited him here.
'Soon, dear lad', the wise parent mountain had said, 'you will go into the mountain society and begin the fight for existence. There you will have to stand up for yourself say your say and win your place in the sun. So pay attention, do your best but especially... remember that the minute you have broken free and are standing right again you begin to grow immediately and that you don't stop under any circumstances, until the end, because if you don't do that you won't be able to remain a proud mountain. Well, just look once under yourself into the immeasurable dark depths with molten lava flowing, that no mountain has ever come back from. If you stop growing for even an instant you fall into that and you are lost for good!
The new mountain understood all that very well so he began to rise vehemently. He rose with all his power... and indeed; he did not fall into the dark abyss beneath him, where he could vaguely make out the intensely hot lava that could surely swallow him in one go if he stopped growing for even one instant as his father had predicted.
And so he bragged with the other mountains around him to secure his place. He tried to get one or more of the nice, round mountains to remain in the neighborhood. He was careful that he didn't fall over when the quake was raging around him and soon he was rising self assuredly towards a rocky coast where the Wise Old Mountain gave lessons to beginners.
But then a small timid little voice asked suddenly: 'Old Wise One, would you please tell us a bit more about the earth? The mountains all became very quiet and the Old Wise One looked very stern and solemn - The Earth- oh yes, that is one of the things that you don't just talk about, that was a Holy thing, and very secretive.
'The Earth', said the Old Wise One seriously, 'is the greatest mystery that we know, but I will pass on to you as has happened from generation to generation what we know about it.'
Our old books state that somewhere, very far away is a place where mountains no longer need to stand tall with all their might and nevertheless still do not crumble. That is a place where peace, rest, and happiness reign and where we can exist forever.
But especially, and that is very important you may not commit any sins.'
'What are those, sins, Old Wise One?
'Well, it's like this: as you know, once in a while something falls out of the sky on us mountains. We call that Rainwater. Well, Rainwater is very sinful and bad; you have to shake that off yourself as quickly as possible. Remember that as much as you can, because whoever has the most Rainwater is the first to become Earth!
The young mountain thought furiously, because he wanted to become Earth and not crumble into the abyss below.
Then one day, a groundhog walked over and burrowed some earth out of his trunk. 'Hey, go away, I don’t take away from me for then I will never become Earth!' complained the mountain. But the groundhog looked straight at him with his sharp, dark eyes and said: 'Earth builds upon Earth. What are you afraid of?' and then disappeared in a burrow.
The mountain was struck dumb. The groundhog’s question didn't make any sense...
But he couldn't forget the question. He thought furiously and in his desperation, he grew aloof from the others and was besotted night and day with the question: 'Earth builds on Earth, then what are you afraid of?'
And then like a bolt of lightning all his questions, vexation and fear fell away from him and he knew with complete certainty: 'Earth builds on Earth; where is the fear?' A deep relaxation took hold of him - all the effort to remain tall and erect fell away and he fell into total silence.
Almost no one noticed anything special about. But for him, everything had changed. After a while it occurred to one mountain that their neighbor just let Rainwater flow over him, as if it didn't matter or as if there was no difference between him and the mud. Some of them asked him questions about that; mostly he just smiled and gave an answer that pleased him and they could understand. For those few who persisted, he took them step by step through his experience.
Only the groundhog noticed that he lived among the other mountains as if he were one of them – but that he made no effort at all anymore to keep up the pretences, but that he relaxed on the bed of the Earth, the only really Free Mountain.
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