The story of Indigo

The Theory: There is a theory, or perhaps a phenomenon, that when a critical number of a species understands something, the knowledge is instantly passed to all of the remaining members of that species. The story that this is based upon is called "The Hundredth Monkey Effect" by Ken Keynes Jr. If this theory is applied to the human race and our evolution, it opens up an interesting train of thought: Is it possible that someone could learn something, thus reaching the critical number of people that know it and therefore cause an instant understanding of it in all of us? If so, that someone is the hundredth monkey.

If for example the understanding is "I need to look after myself at the cost of others" the effect would be catastrophic and promote a world of greed and violence, where we would all fight to keep what we own and take what we can from others (sound familiar?) If however the understanding is "I need to feel unconditional compassion to all sentient life" the effect would be, well, it speaks for itself. Read about the 100th Monkey here.

The Story: "Indigo" tells a story of a girl who, unbeknown to her, is about to change the world dramatically. Although her parents were convinced of her being "special" Indigo had a normal, unadventurous childhood. Her school days were boring and those festivals in the sun were fantastic. One day, as a teenager at a party she slips into a trance, a kind of accidental meditation where we she meets her inner self, her "me". The space she finds herself in is a timeless emptiness where her soul is reflected to her. The reflection shows her weaknesses and desires and the remedy to both. She realizes that this place in her mind is hers alone, her sanctuary, her temple and she knows that she can visit at any time by simply closing her eyes, now that she knows the way.

In her temple she begins the unfolding of her enlightenment: She considers the wheel of life and the importance of liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth, while maintaining the same wish for all life. She understands that the most direct route to this liberation, or Nirvana, is unconditional compassion for all life - to the point that she would happily be reborn into this life again purely so that she could help to liberate others.

She realizes that while in her temple her imagination is boundless. She can paint her perfect world, let her imagination run wild and watch all that she paints come to life right in front of her eyes. She knows that regardless of our individual hang-ups that make us who we seem to be, all of our inner souls (that most of us don't know how to access or that even know exists) would paint a similar world as hers if they could. Underneath the layers of consciousness and ego is a "Buddha nature" in everyone that shares the same vision of Nirvana. Her temple allows her to appreciate the power in letting her inspiration off the leash, unencumbered by concerns of the modern day life and false priorities.

Finally she understands how far the human race is from reaching the same state of mind. She notes the short amount of time we appear to have been here and how far we have to go before we all have the same understanding and can be liberated. Although this is a depressing thought she becomes determined to spread her message, leading by example and helping all mankind on to liberation. She feels that our role in life is to drag the human race forward, expand our consciousness, follow the light, chase the sun.

Little does she know that as she reaches her enlightenment, so do we all. A switch is turned on causing a collective human thought and the world changes: Wealth becomes irrelevant, love and compassion becomes boundless in everyone, wars cease, religions dissolve and toleration is a natural first instinct. Indigo - the hundredth monkey.

"A great revolution of character in just one man will achieve a change in the destiny of a
nation and further will cause a change in the destiny of all mankind” Daisaku Ikeda