freethinking.me

“I am going to ask a question,” the king said to the master.

“Ask your question then,” said the master.

“I have already asked,” said the king.

“I have already answered,” said the master.

“What did you answer?” said the king.

“What did you ask?” said the master.

“I asked nothing,” said the king.

“I answered nothing,” said the master.

The disciple approached the master and said, “Master, I think I am ready to leave you and begin teaching others.”

The master said, “Very well, prepare a discourse that you will deliver 3 days from now. I will invite all the villagers to come and listen. Afterwards, I shall decide whether or not you are really ready.”

So the disciple prepared for the discourse and chose to highlight all the important lessons he had learned. After 3 days, he delivered his talk in the village square. Immediately after he had spoken, the audience applauded him warmly as the talk was well-prepared and well-spoken. Then, a beggar rose from his seat and approached the disciple, who was still on the stage. The disciple immediately came down, removed his cloak, and put it around the tattered rags of the beggar. He also removed his purse and gave it to the beggar. The audience greeted him with another round of applause.

Afterwards, the master called the disciple for a private talk.

“Your words were well-crafted and you seem to have perfected the artful delivery of them,” said the master, “but you are not yet ready.”

“But why?” said the disciple.

“For two reasons. First, you did not give the beggar a chance to voice his need, choosing instead to assume that he wanted your cloak and coins. And second, you are not yet above impressing others with your own piety.”

“I want you to teach me about wisdom,” said the initiate to the master.

“Go away. I can teach you nothing,” said the master.

“But you have many disciples here. Surely, they wouldn’t be following you if you’re teaching them nothing,” said the initiate.

“Go ask them, then,” said the master.

The initiate went to one of the disciples and said, “The master says he teaches nothing. Is that true?”

“Why, yes,” said the disciple.

“Then what are all of you doing here?” said the initiate.

“We are here to learn,” said the disciple.

“But how can you learn if he teaches nothing?” said the initiate.

“It is true that he teaches nothing. But that does not mean we are not learning anything,” said the disciple.

The master wanted to have a special suit made for his daughter’s wedding. He went to the village tailor, who measured him up and said, “If God wills it, we’ll have your suit ready in one week.”

The master was glad to hear this as the wedding was still two weeks away. After a week, he sent one of his disciples to collect the suit. But the tailor met the disciple with an apologetic look and said, “Sorry, but there was a problem with the cloth and we had to make several adjustments. But we will rush our work and if God wills it, your master will have his suit in 3 days.”

After 3 days, another disciple came to claim the suit, but still the tailor came out empty-handed and said, “Sorry again, but this time, if God wills it, the suit will be ready by tomorrow.”

When the disciple reported this back to the master, he said, “Go back and ask him how long it will take if he keeps God out of it.”

The Chairman of the University’s Theology Department passed away suddenly and the other heads scrambled to find a suitable replacement. One of them suggested the name of the master, who lived nearby and who had a reputation for holiness.

So they went to the master’s house but he was away. They then told the chief disciple their intentions and asked him to convey the message to the master.

The disciple said, “I thank you for thinking well of my master, but I don’t think he will accept your invitation.”

“Whyever not?” asked one professor. “Our University is one of the most reputable in the country. He should be honored that we are the ones who come inviting him. It’s not every day that we go inviting someone to be the chairman of one of our departments.”

The disciple replied, “I’m sorry, but it has nothing to do with your reputation or what you have done today. But the master emphasizes the actual practice and discipline of holiness rather than the teaching and studying of it. I don’t think he would do very well in the task you have planned for him.”

“But he would be in a perfect position to teach,” insisted the professor. “He would be sharing from his own experience.”

The disciple replied, “He is already teaching, in his own fashion. But he cannot do it within the confines of the University. Think about this. Would you ask a lion or a tiger to be the chairman of your Zoology Department?”