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The Labors of Hercules - Labor IV - Part 1
Then to the holy shrine of Mykenae, Hercules bore the doe, carrying it to the center of the holy place and there he laid it down. And as he laid it down before the Lord, he noted on its [80] foot the wound, made by an arrow from the bow he had possessed and used. The doe was his by right of search. The doe was his by right of skill and the prowess of his arm. "The doe is therefore doubly mine," he said. But Artemis, standing within the outer court of that most holy place heard his loud cry of victory and said: "Not so. The doe is mine and always has been mine. I saw its form, reflected in the water; I heard its feet upon the ways of earth; I know the doe is mine, for every form is mine." The Sun-God spoke, from out the holy place. "The doe is mine, not yours, O Artemis! Its spirit rests with me from all eternity, here in the center of the holy shrine. You may not enter here, O Artemis, but know I speak the truth. Diana, that fair huntress of the Lord, may enter for a moment and tell you what she sees." Into the shrine for one brief moment passed the huntress of the Lord and saw the form of that which was the doe, lying before the altar, seeming dead. And in distress she said: "But if its spirit rests with thee, O great Apollo, noble son of God, then know the doe is dead. The doe is slain by the man who is a son of man, e'en though a son of God. Why may he pass within the shrine and we await the doe out here?" "Because he bore the doe within his arms, close to his heart, and in the holy place the doe finds rest, and so does man. All men are mine. The doe is likewise mine, not yours, nor man's but mine." And Hercules, returning from the test, passed through the Gate again and found his way, back to the teacher of his life. "I have fulfiled the task, set by the great Presiding One. Simple it was, except for length of time and wariness of search. I listened not to those who made their claim, nor faltered on, the Way. The doe is in the holy place, close to the heart of God [81] and likewise, in the hour of need, close to my heart also." "Go look again, O Hercules, my son, between the pillars of the Gate." And Hercules obeyed. Beyond the Gate, the landscape stretched in contours fair and on the far horizon stood the temple of the Lord, the shrine of the Sun-God, with glistening battlements, whilst on a nearby hill there stood a slender fawn. "Did I perform the test, O Teacher wise? The fawn is back upon the hill where I earlier saw it stand." And from the Council Chamber of the Lord, where sits the great Presiding One, there came a voice: "Again and yet again must all the sons of men, who are the sons of God, seek for the golden antlered fawn and bear it to the holy place; again and yet again." Then said the Teacher to the son of man who is a son of God: "Labor the fourth is over, and from the nature of the test and from the nature of the doe, frequent must be the search. Forget this not, but ponder on the lesson learnt." The Tibetan (Djwhal Khul)
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