Klaas-Jan BAKKER - AMORC

from morning till evening,
Radoš toiled in his vineyard
and imparted to his vines
best of his soul. He loved his
plants as though they were
his own children and watched
with pride as year to year the
clusters of grapes became
larger and juicier than ever.
And then one day he
knew that his plants were no
longer children but adults in
their prime that were ready
to give their best. Into the
wooden press the grapes went
and all the time he continued
speaking words of beauty and
encouragement: “Become a great
the
wine my children; let your flavour bring joy to the heart
and chase away sadness. Do not confuse reason, nor go
to the head; get better and better with every day.”
And then he thought, “But what about the
barrel I can’t put my wine in just any old barrel!” So
he went to the master cooper, Samo, and explained
his work to him. Samo started work immediately,
making for him a large barrel, beautifully decorated
on the bottom with a wooden carving representing
a room in which the king was seated at table. In
one hand the king held a glass
of wine and in the other, the
coat of arms of Bratislava. In
this magnificent barrel, Radoš
placed his precious, young
wine. For two years, as the
wine aged, Radoš lived beside
the barrel, singing quiet ballads
of beauty from the depths of
his soul.
The wine matured
perfectly, and after two years,
he drew from the barrel a
carafe full of the red liquid and
went to the king: “I bring the
king the wine he most desires,” he
said to the servant who led him
into the king’s presence. They
spoke together for a long time.
The master cooper, Samo, started work immediately,
making for him a large barrel, beautifully decorated
on the bottom.
From the depths of his being, arose a
yearning to do good to all humanity.
The king asked him about his
wine and Radoš told him the
story from beginning to end.
The king thanked him, and later
that evening, as a full moon
rose on a cloudless sky, he sat
silently by an open window
and slowly drank a glass of
Radoš’s wine.
It had the same effect as
all wine did, but unlike the tipsy
dullness of mind that the king
was used to, this wine filled
him with joy. From the depths
of his being, arose a yearning
to do good to all humanity, to
bring peace where there was
strife, to forgive where there
was wounded pride, to help those in need, to
encourage those who needed it, and to care for
the kingdom in his trust, as a master vintner cared
for his vines and the wine which came from them:
“This is the wine I have sought all my life,” he thought.
“I shall reward this master of wine making and learn
the secret of his craft; for in it lies great wisdom and
accomplishment.”
This tale of wine creation is more
than just another story; it is a rite of
initiation. Radoš used his words and songs
to associate the power of his thoughts
with the physical substance of the wine,
hoping with confidence and humility that the king
would experience those same thoughts and be
led by their principled intent
to experiencing thoughts of a
similar nature himself…, calmly
and privately as though they
had arisen from his own being.
The vintner Radoš had
made excellent wine, as all
good vintners do; but he had
also transmuted his thoughts
into a substance of inspiration
and illumination as all good
alchemists do. So if you wish
to create a really good vintage
in your life, remember the tale
of Radoš and the peace and
fulfilment he brought into the
life of another. You too can
become a master vintner in the
vineyard of your life.
38
The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2007