Spiritual Narrations New 3

This writing will not be understood until its end;
then, the meaning will be grasped.

~~~

It was announced as the Happiness Contest but of course, it was not for every public, rather for a singular public. Each candidate had been selected and they looked very distinguished and eloquent. The curtain was opened and the first participant appeared, he took two steps, looked at the public and immediately afterwards, he began to sob, then two persons applauded and the participant left the stage. Thus, another participant, presented himself, he took three steps, this one wailed and cried; thereupon four persons applauded and he was gone. The public was very attentive and seemed to be experts in this happiness contest. Then, another participant appeared, he took four steps but this one did not look at the auditorium. He wailed, cried and stamped his feet. He received the applause of ten persons and he left the stage. Later, another participant came, who was walking with very slow steps and every step seemed like eternity. He took three steps, then four, then five, later six, and then seven steps. This one cried more and more and he received the applause of twenty persons. The public was most motivated since this was a very important contest.

Another participant appeared taking normal steps, five steps and when he was almost taking the sixth step, he instead, pouted in a very sincere way, that lasted for a long time. He received the applause of one hundred persons and the public went wild. One hundred! Nevertheless, there was one applause missing since there were one hundred and one persons. Then, another participant presented himself. He did not look special at all. He walked the stage looking at the public and he went as far as taking eight steps. He kept looking and his voice broke; the sound was not as crying but rather seemed as grief. And he said: " The fact is that I cannot even cry." The ovation was fantastic: One hundred and one persons were applauding. He was the winner. The other participants and the public came to congratulate him and they kept applauding. In the middle of this commotion, there was someone hiding behind a curtain, who was watching the event. He had not been invited but was curious about the title of the contest and he thought: "This is very strange. How can this be possible? They all have cried, the last one broke his voice and the public applauded. I have to find out about this mystery. Maybe I am going mad." He then, waited patiently and at the right moment, he mixed up with the public and he approached the winner and said: "I congratulate you sir. You truly deserve the award.
But, excuse me, I had not been invited and maybe that is the reason that I do not understand. Can you tell me what is the science or art of this event? I came because I saw the sign saying " The Happiness Contest" and I thought that I could laugh and be glad, but everything here have been crying. Forgive me, but can you tell me what is the mystery of this contest? The winner said:
" Oh, you come from the other side of the world! We are a little different here but I will explain, you will listen and you will understand the reason why I won the Happiness Contest. Look, it is very simple. We all are here because we are different from you. Now, tell me: What happens when you are happy?" And the man said: " Well, when I am happy, I am joyous and I even laugh."
The winner of the contest said: " What happens when you are sad?" And the other man said: " When I am sad, I feel depressed, desolated and of course, I can even cry."

Then, the winner said: "You already know enough to understand; and I will explain a little bit more. Can you imagine a flower with no perfume? A bird that cannot fly? A river that does not sing? An sky that is always gray? A night with no stars? A rainbow with no colors? If you can imagine all that, you can also imagine a loss without crying, a funeral without sadness, a farewell without tears. If you can imagine all that, if you can conceive some things and others you cannot, then I will tell you who I am; and you will understand this public and their applause. The explanation will seem strange and afterwards, you will think that you are strange, that I am strange, that we all are strange. You will see my hidden secret why I won the Happiness Contest. There is something important here, that life cannot give us, because life has prevented, has broken the soul, has dried our oceans. Well, I will explain: The Happiness Contest is based on the true happiness- I know that you do not understand yet-

The persons that you saw walking on the stage are very brave, even more than me because they all cried, some more, some less. I almost could not cry, nevertheless, I won, because I said in a broken voice that I could not even cry. That is the reason that I won. None of us could in truth be able to cry, on the contrary: The world laughs and laughs and laughs as a madman who hardly ever knows where he will go. But I do not want to take more of your time. Between laughing and crying there is the distance of a sigh. I and everybody else, that you see here have been born from that sigh. Today, you will know what is the meaning of happiness for me and for my people. It is to be able to cry some day. To know that we are not able to cry, make us cry in silence. That is the reason that I won, because of my silent crying, of the silence in my crying. I am the winner because I could express what I cannot express while the world laughs and laughs. Since I laugh when I truly want to cry, because
I am: The Clown.