Pearls of Wisdom Home
Home  |   Native American Wisdom  |  Two Wolves - A Cherokee Parable
share by email

Two Wolves - A Cherokee Parable

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,
"The one you feed."

 

Author Unknown
(possibly a Cherokee parable, and going back probably at least to the 1950's in print - but unconfirmable)

Artwork by Denton Lund


share by email

 

 

Native American Wisdom Menu



Music on this page:
excerpt of "Wind Voices" from cd Good Medicine by John Two-Hawks
- American Indian Lakota flute player& musician.
Used here with permission.

Buy album on iTunes
 
BACK  |  TOP