As his car drifted to the side, Bob knew that he would not be getting home that night. To make the situation worse, it was dark and raining. He was a long way from town on a road with no traffic, which meant that no help was in sight. He was not a mechanic, but he had no choice but to make a futile attempt at diagnosing the mechanical failure. However, it really was a futile attempt. He was not able to figure out why his car stalled and why it would not start. He began walking down the road and saw an old brick building. He knocked on the door. A monk answered the door. This was a monastery. Bob explained his situation and asked for help. The monk responded that they did not have any mechanic at the monastery and that there was no phone or Internet there. However, he did offer Bob the opportunity to spend the night, explaining that during the day they usually received visitors. Very likely someone would have a cell phone and could help him out. Bob graciously accepted the generous offer. The monk showed him to one of the guest rooms and told him that they would serve him breakfast in the morning. He told Bob to feel free to look around the monastery, if he wished to.
Bob looked around the monastery. He saw artifacts and historical information posted. He saw a set of stairs and decided to follow them up to the top. There was a blue door. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He went back downstairs to his room. In the morning he was eating breakfast with the monks and decided to ask them about the door. They explained that behind the door was the secret of the monks. This peaked his interest, so he asked, “Well, what is it?” They responded, “We can’t tell you. You are not a monk. Otherwise it would no longer be the secret of the monks!”
Two years later his car broke down at the same place again. (It is very convenient for this joke that his car break down at the same place.) He went to the same monastery and spent the night there again. Again, he looked around and saw the blue door, and again he asked the monks about it in the morning. There response was the same, “We can’t tell you. You are not a monk.” Therefore, he asked them, “What do I need to do to be a monk? I have to know what is behind that door?” They gave him the list of requirements. He set out to fulfill the requirements. Another two years passed before he returned. When he returned he said, “I have completed the requirements you gave to me to be a monk. I would like to be a monk.” So, they made him a monk. He asked them, “Ok, what is behind the blue door?” One of the monks handed him a key and said, “It is beyond description. You need to see it for yourself. It is amazing!” He was excited. He went up the stairs as fast as he could and opened the door. Immediately behind the blue door was an orange door. He went down and asked for that key. A different monk had that key. Bob took the key and went up and opened the orange door. There was a green door. So, he went down and asked, “Is there any way to get all of the keys?” The monk he asked said, “No, each monk has a separate key. You need to ask each of them for the key that he has.” So, Bob found the monk that had the key to the green door. Bob went up and unlocked the green door. There was a white door. Bob looked for the monk that had the key to the white door and discovered that he was out shopping for food. When that monk returned, Bob helped him unload the vehicle and put the food away. He then asked for the key and went up to unlock the white door. After the white door was a purple door. So, Bob looked for that key. He went up and unlocked that door, only to discover a black door. That monk was on vacation. Bob had to wait two weeks before he had that key. After he received that key he unlocked the black door and found a red door. He went to get that key. He unlocked the red door and found a yellow door. He found the monk that had that key. He went up and unlocked the yellow door. No more colors. Now there was an oak door. After that was a maple door, then a cedar door, then a pine door, and finally a walnut door.
Finally, there were no more doors. In front of Bob was the secret of the monks. It was amazing! He had never seen or even imagined anything more beautiful or breathtaking as what he saw. Words simply wouldn’t do it justice.
Do you have any idea what Bob saw?
No?
No idea at all?
Neither do I. I’m not a monk!