Reason

Enlightenment: An egg. Inside the egg is a feeling; outside the egg is Reason.

Reason tapped on the egg. It sensed warmth inside. Outside, it was cold. Reason huddled up next to the egg for a while, tapping occasionally. It was very cold outside.
Reason started walking around the egg, looking for a way in. It rolled the egg over, looking at it from all angles. There wasn't an opening. Reason started to cry. The tears froze.
Reason became angry; the egg was so warm, but there was no way inside. Reason stomped around the egg, icecicle tears cutting up its feet. The blood froze too.
Reason picked up the egg and slammed it against the ground. It cracked a little, but it didn't open. Enraged, Reason smashed the egg down. It shattered, and egg shards and yolk scattered around. Reason collapsed to the ground, and, exhausted, fell asleep.

When Reason woke up, the egg was back.

Reason stared at it for a little while. There were still bits of eggshell on the ground, but none of what had been inside. It was very cold.
Reason slowly became aware of a faint source of warmth. Searching around, it saw the sun high above it, half-hidden in clouds. Reason climbed up on top of a small hill- yes, the warmth from above seemed ever so slightly increased! Reason began to run, seeking the highest places it could find. It warmed a little from the run, a little from the sun, but it was still very cold. Eventually, though, Reason began to tire. As it slowed, Reason became more and more aware of the cold again- and no matter how high Reason climbed, it was still not warm enough. Reason slumped to the ground, staring up at the sun in despair, and wept. The ice had begun to form a crust over it from the sweat and tears. Reason slept.

When Reason woke up, it saw it was back where it had started from.

Reason sat very still for a while. When it moved, it began to look around itself. Eventually, it saw (half-buried in snow and ice) a book. On the cover of the book was a picture of a large egg. Inside were strange pictures and diagrams, and on the last page, there was a picture of a glorious golden, sun-like egg. Reason began to study.
Reason saw that the book told it a way to make his egg brillant and hot. Using dirt, blood, whatever it could get, it began to trace the pictures across the ground and the egg, dancing around in its joy. Reason felt a little warmer while it did, and the heavy plates of ice melted a little, loosening.
Reason kept drawing the diagrams, kept moving according to the book, and yet, the careful processes didn't seem to be working. It tried again... and again. And finally, it fell to its knees, staring at the book, and the sun, and collapsed against its egg, sobbing and exhausted.

When Reason woke up, the mandalas, diagrams, runes, and special signs were erased.

Reason walked away from the egg, looking for something new. In the distance, it saw something that looked very much like another egg! It ran towards that, and there discovered another Reason.
The two Reasons studied one another. The first Reason wore tatters and ice; the second Reason was well-covered in thick clothing. If there was any ice on it, the clothes covered too well to see. You must be cold, said the second Reason.
yes... Reason found itself replying. The second Reason took off one of its many cloaks, draping it around Reason.
Here you go, the second Reason smiled.
Reason was overjoyed. It ran and danced, this other Reason clapping excitedly to see such a display. They sat and talked for a very long time.
However, slowly, Reason felt the chill. It began to shiver, even under the nice cloak. The second Reason seemed concerned, and suggested that Reason go looking for places-with-cloth. Reason sighed unhappily, shivered, and bade its friend farewell.
Reason walked until it found yet another Reason. This Reason sat on top of its egg, draped over as much of it as possible, and invited Reason to come up beside it. Reason climbed atop, and for a little while, was warm; but it was not enough to keep the cold away for very long at all. The prone Reason suggested that Reason bring its egg, and Reason happily agreed.
On the way back, though, Reason got lost. It wandered through woods and darkness, occasionally meeting other Reasons. At first, it offered to help the other Reasons in exchange for clothes; some had shiny baubles draped over themselves or their eggs, and Reason gathered a few of these as well.
Eventually, Reason, freezing and desperate, began to just trick or take the things away. It never did find the source.

Reason finally found its old friends. Overjoyed, Reason saw that both of the other Reasons it had met had their eggs right next to one another. It searched for the two other Reasons, and saw them lying against the front of their eggs. They waved, and invited Reason to stop a little while, but didn't move up to greet it. Reason sat and talked a little while, and the two seemed happy but lethargic. It was the cold, they explained; if they moved too far, their little warmth would be gone. Reason asked to join them, but they looked slightly shocked. Reason didn't press the issue, and eventually, just left.

Finding its egg, Reason dropped its pile of things. It was very cold outside. Reason shivered, but began to sort and count the things to stay warm. Other Reasons occasionally wandered by, and Reason spoke to them, suggesting ways to collect things from others. One shivering Reason refused, calling Reason a monster for taking things from others. Reason was suprised; it gathered its things and went back to return the ones it had taken unfairly.
Reason got to the last one it had taken things from. This one was shivering, and Reason returned the blanket it had taken. The shivering Reason smiled pathetically, grabbing the blanket and huddling up to its egg. Reason moved to the next.
The egg was broken, leaking down over a Reason frozen solid to the ground. Reason tried to warm this one up, but to no avail; the Reason just disintegrated into flakes of ice. Reason sat a while, staring at the leaking, cold egg.
Returning what it could, Reason saw others frozen or ill, some barely able to move any longer. Reason made its way back to its egg. It wasn't really sure why, anymore. It was just a familiar place.

Another Reason came by. It was naked, but seemed unconcerned. Shed your cloth, said this new Reason, give it away and be free!.
To you, I suppose, laughed Reason.
No! To any who still need such things. There is a better way! the new Reason sang.
Oh?, said Reason.
And the new Reason explained that enlightenment was inside the egg, one simply had to know the correct way to open it. Cold, it kept insisting, was just an illusion; a self-deception. "Warm" and "Cold" were concepts created with contrasting the feeling of the egg with the feeling of the outside, when in fact they were simply experiences- the experience of egg, the experience of the outside. The feeling of 'warmth' from the egg was simply enlightenment waiting to be released.

Reason picked up one of the icecicles of tear and blood, and very carefully tapped a tiny, elegant hole in each end of the egg. The egg began to drain, and the new Reason invited Reason to hold his hand beneath the seeping matter- it was cold. You see?, sang the new Reason. An illusion.
Eventually, the egg was light and still felt faintly warm. Now, said the new Reason, Tap on it. Gently!
Reason did, and the empty shell crumbled. It stared, perplexed.
Enlightenment is that there is nothing in the egg, the new Reason smiled, It is an illusion, an imagination of some percieved warmth when in fact the cold one seeks to overcome is the problem. Forget about the warmth, so that you can forget about the cold.
Reason tried, and with the new Reason's help, it slowly became able to forget about the cold. Shivering, freezing Reasons would occasionally pass through, and Reason offered them its garments. Reason and new Reason talked often, and Reason kept asking, But what about the yolk?
New Reason explained each time that the yolk was just another element of illusion, a heavy cold dead thing that kept one from seeing the truth of the egg.
But Reason was still bothered, and each time it felt agitated, the sensation of cold would return. Eventually, the new Reason left to assist other Reasons, and Reason meditated. Its meditations would be disturbed occasionally by worries, and each time, it felt the cold, and it felt the warmth of the sun on its shoulders. It was troubled by the thought that the lack of sensation, being a transient thing, might be the illusion. Reality, Reason thought, might be that which did not go away when one stopped concentrating. Reason began to miss the egg, and the discoveries of its past. Eventually, Reason looked up at the sun and relaxed back against a tree, falling asleep.

In Reason's dreams, it saw its life, its journies, and its search for some persistant warmth. Maybe it had done all there was to do; there was no promise the egg would be there again when it woke. And the egg was a perpetual engima; perhaps it would be nice to fall into a forever sleep. To forget.
But it wanted to understand. The egg had been there as long as it had, and had come back each time. It was like the sun; hidden at times, seemingly gone forever, but only the forever of one moment, one state of mind. Reason wanted to know why the sun was warm and the egg was warm, and it wanted to know why there was cold, and it wanted to dance again. It could sleep forever, perhaps, and dissolve into flakes of ice and become one with the world, and perhaps it might come about again or find answers in its dreams.
No. thought Reason, as it opened its eyes.

Reason clambered up, a little stiffly, and walked around the egg. It was mostly smooth but seemed to have lines in it, memories of its wounds. Reason looked at the egg and shrugged, putting its hands to the surface. It was very cold outside, so to keep warm, Reason began to dance.