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The Elusive Butterfly
by Matt Kahn

I remember the moment clearly, as if it just occurred and yet, it was almost two years ago when Parmahansa Yogananda stepped forward and introduced his essence to me. By that time, I was regularly communicating with fifteen other ascended masters and archangels such as Melchizedek, St. Germain, Metatron, Quan Yin, Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and even the energy of Jesus and Dwal Khul. Each have their own distinct vibration or feel, coming with specific lessons as the professors in this university called earth I was brought here to attend.

I had heard the name Yogananda as a popular ascended master in spiritual circles, but never really knew much about him. I was open to learning about his teachings, but instead of seeking a connection with him, I intuitively felt it was best to remain still and allow him to find me. When he first appeared to me it was as a vision of Yogananda standing in a beautiful garden, much like the one I had visited in my out-of-body experience with Jesus at the age of eight.

His energy felt like a combination of Jesus and Buddha. I was delighted to learn from Yogananda, not only because I had heard so many good things about him, but because I knew adding another ascended master from the eastern philosophies was a deeper transition from the knowledge of my mind into the opening of my heart. When he appeared, he told me a story which was a metaphor of my next life lesson. I was simultaneously listening to the words that were translated from the vision I saw like motion picture, while also being in the experience of the main character of the story.

The following story not only became the first encounter I had with Yogananda, but a life-changing experience in simply learning to allow. I offer this to you as a preview of the experiences you may manifest, as a result of what these words convey.

A boy is running around in a blooming garden, filled with dozens of different flowers, glowing in spectacular splendor. The boy's head beads with perspiration, focused on catching a butterfly he's been trying to capture for the past forty minutes. Every time he gets close enough, using every ounce of strength and coordination to maneuver his hands to where his eyes suggest the butterfly is, the butterfly switches directions and flutters a few inches from where the boy can reach.

The boy stops to catch his breath and the butterfly draws closer. As the boy lunges for the butterfly, much to his amazement, the butterfly is once again just out of arm's reach.

Frustrated and dismayed, the boy slumps onto the grass trying to understand why his attempts have failed. He looks up to the heavens with his hands outstretched as if he's waiting for an answer and miraculously, the butterfly lands in the palm of his left hand.

The boy's eyes widen with astonishment as the elusive little butterfly he worked so hard to capture is now in his grasp. At this range, the boy can see the intricate detail of the butterfly's wings as the colors splash into vibrant focus. The boy's heart pounds with anticipated panic, hoping the butterfly doesn't fly away, as his fingers begin to clench into a fist. As his fingers begin to draw closer together, the butterfly instantly frees itself from the boy's hand and flies, once again, just out of arm's reach.

Before the boy can fill with further frustration, he observes the elusive little butterfly and simply opens his left hand. No longer trying to capture this beautiful creature, he now waits patiently allowing it to draw closer. As his palm remains open, the butterfly lands once again. As the boy keeps his hand open and steady, the butterfly remains in place.

Instead of feeling the fear of losing the butterfly, he allows it to be as it will, amazed that by doing this, it offers him a greater experience than his previous efforts combined. The boy, now sitting on the grass, continues to spend the afternoon with his new friend, the elusive little butterfly, who rests in a peaceful position for as long as the boy's hand remains open.

As this story concluded, I realized that I was the boy, and Yogananda was the elusive little butterfly resting in my open hand. As the butterfly, Yogananda represented the potential self I was remembering to be, while I represented my present understanding of self as the little boy. In this delightful tale, Yogananda taught me how connection cannot be pursued with force, but with an open hand, I may draw it closer by allowing it in.

Like the elusive little butterfly, connection is alive and flutters its wings at the exact rate your heart beats inside of you. When the fear of abandonment manifests, we close our hands to hoard what we fear losing. In this instance, the wings of connection drift away—not able to stay alive in the palm of a closed hand. Yet, when the hand opens to receive, it allows this connection to draw closer toward the experience the self inside imagines.

Each of us, as the student soul in this university called earth, may embrace our connection as long as we are aware it is never a matter of force or effort. It is a shift in focus that identifies the connection fluttering around us and we patiently open to receive it in experience. Whenever we hold it too tightly, we suggest it may not belong to us and it reflects this fear in action, immediately flying away.

We learn to understand this connection by allowing it to become a part of our experience—opening our hands to receive, as the elusive little butterfly lands in the only place it's destined to be.

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