There was a man who sought visions. He ingested a plant that was said to give visions and indeed he had visions. But the visions he had were bad visions. He prayed to the plant to bring him good visions and he had one tiny good vision. But the rest were all bad.
He ingested a different plant that was said to give visions. These visions were also bad. There was not even a tiny good one. No matter how hard he prayed for good visions all his visions were bad. He tried other plants. They all gave him visions but they were almost all bad. Only the fleeting good vision arose here and there and as soon as it came it went.
He did not ask why. He desperately desired good visions, but no matter what plant he ingested, and no matter how hard he prayed his visions were bad. Have I no good visions in me, he lamented? And he went on, ingesting all the plants there were that gave visions, hoping and praying for a good vision, which never came.
One person said the reason you're not having good visions is that you're trying too hard. All of your hoping and praying is actually making it more difficult for you to have good visions.
Another person said you're scaring them away.
Another person said pay attention to your bad visions, they're trying to tell you something.
Another person said be happy you're having any visions at all. I never have any visions.
Another person said just keep having visions, you're bound to have some good ones eventually.
Despite their inability to help him very much, it seemed that everyone he met on his quest for visions had an interested response or was sympathetic or had some advice for him. Gradually he began to gain a group of friends who were also seeking visions. He fell in love with one of them and she fell in love with him.
Then he realized that all along what he had really been seeking was not visions but her.
After that he had good visions.
