Midnight Journal: Story of a Salt Man
7 /12 - Appreciation
Dear Friends,
When you engage in society, friendships, families, and communities, you notice how people start forming like an ant colony- moving together, thinking alike, following similar paths. There is a reel (may not be real) comfort in belonging to the group, but there is also a quiet pressure to conform.
When someone chooses to think differently or act from an inner wisdom, they may no longer fit into that collective pattern. The group may see the difference, unaware of the intention, the thought, and the silent strength behind those actions. What appears as loneliness to them is often a journey toward authenticity.
The Upanishads share a similar story - for seekers who walk alone. The story goes like this :
The Salt Man and the Ocean
Long ago, in a land of salt, there lived a large salt crystal, so-called Salt Man. He was proud of his size and gathered many smaller salt crystals around him. Over time, he built his own colony and began to think that he was greater than all others.
Among them was a tiny one of pure salt. Though small, it was clear, humble, and free from pride.
The Salt Man often pushed the tiny one aside.
You do not belong to us, he would say. Look at me. I am bigger, stronger, and followed by many. You are nothing.
The tiny guy never argued. He simply smiled.
One day, after hearing the claims repeatedly, the tiny one replied,
If you are as great as you believe, could you do me a favour? Go and measure the size of the ocean. Return and tell me how vast it is. I will wait for you here.
The Salt Man laughed.
Is that all? Of course I can.
He went to the shore of the mighty ocean. Standing there, he looked from one horizon to the other. The ocean seemed endless.
After a long while, he called out, I cannot see its end, but I will measure its depth instead!
The tiny guy replied, Ok, please go ahead. I shall wait.
Filled with confidence and full of ego, the Salt Man stepped into the water.
One step. … Then another..
As he moved deeper into the ocean, he began to dissolve.
The very thing that made him believe he was separate started disappearing.
His size/pride/identity vanished.
Drop by drop, he became one with the ocean itself.
And he never returned.
The tiny one sitting on the shore, smiling quietly.
Lesson
The ego is like the Salt Man. It compares, excludes, and claims superiority based on size, status, followers, or possessions.
But when it approaches the Infinite - Truth, God, Consciousness, or Reality - it cannot remain as a separate entity. The closer it comes, the more it dissolves.
The greatest realisation is not that I am bigger /richer / smarter/fulfilled / (have a closed group) as compared to others. It is the disappearance of the I that wanted to be bigger.
Whenever the world makes you feel like an outsider for thinking differently, loving deeply, or seeking truth, remember this story. The path of self-realisation may sometimes feel lonely, but it is often the path that leads closest to the Infinite. Appreciate yourself, write to yourself:
Thank you for reading this. Please share my post with others if you like it.
Love,
Enkay - J
This is a beautifully written piece that balances personal reflection with ancient wisdom. The opening observation about social conformity — the “ant colony” metaphor — immediately draws you in because most of us have felt that quiet pressure to belong at some point.
The Salt Man parable is the real strength here. It’s simple enough to be accessible, yet layered enough to sit with afterward. The image of dissolving into the ocean is both haunting and liberating — the Salt Man “loses” everything, but the story frames it as a kind of homecoming. That’s a sophisticated spiritual idea delivered without being preachy, which is genuinely hard to pull off.
The ending invitation to write to yourself is a lovely touch — though it left me wanting just a little more. Even a single sentence of what that letter might begin with could help readers cross the threshold from reading to actually reflecting.
The voice throughout is warm and unassuming, which suits the message perfectly. A teacher preaching against ego would undermine the lesson; instead, Enkay writes alongside the reader, which feels earned.
The line “The greatest realisation is not that I am bigger… It is the disappearance of the I that wanted to be bigger” — that’s genuinely worth bookmarking.
Looking forward to the next one.