Some men are chained in a cave since childhood with his back exit, and then forced to look only toward the end wall. Upon exiting the cave there is a high wall around the opening half. Behind this wall of men carrying on the shoulders of statues representing all sorts of things. Behind these men burns a great fire in the sky and the sun shines. The projects focus on the bottom of the cave only the shadows of the statues, because the men who carry them are hidden from the wall. The voices resound as an echo of the carriers at the bottom of the cavern to which the prisoners think they are the voices of the shadows of the statues. Prisoners are therefore convinced that the shadows cast on the bottom of the cave are the only existing reality.
One of the prisoners can escape. He turns and heads for the exit of the cave and discovers that the statues and shadows are not the true reality. Leaving the cave, he saw the external reality, he discovers that even the statues are the reality, but only imitations of real things. Finally, after being accustomed to the bright light which was not used, he discovers that all things are visible due to sunlight.
At first he decides to stay forever in that wonderful place, but then remembers the terrible situation of his comrades and return them to explain the truth. But back inside the cave, his eyes now dazzled by the light, most do not distinguish the shadows of the statues.
Then the companions deride and despise him and continue to make the highest honors to those that best distinguish the statuettes. Finally, annoyed at his attempt to free them and bring them out of the cave, kill him.
SYMBOLS:
-slaves chained rappresntano Man.
-The cave is our fantasy world.
-The shadows of the statues representing all the things in the world of sense.
-chains are ignorance and the passions that we nailed to this life.
-Fire represents the arche, the first principle that allows the existence of things of the sensible world, namely the principle that allows us to see the shadows of true reality that is of Ideas.
-The Sun is the supreme Idea, the Supreme Good, that makes everything knowable.
In the second part of the myth of the cave is very clear that the two choices is presented to those who have attained enlightenment: either remain in been reached or return to bring the truth to men.
In Theravada Buddhism, the latter figure coincides with that of "Bodhisattva" and as the Buddha, because of his compassion for mankind, to temporarily surrender his state of enlightenment to make known to all sentient beings on the path towards Truth to free them from the chains of this illusory world.
In this light, Christ can also be regarded as a bodhisattva.
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