Learning from a Master

I’ve collected hundreds of teaching stories from all over the world.

Here is a delightful tale that appears in many forms in Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Sufi teachings.

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Once upon a time, there was a man who wanted to change his life, to understand the nature of things and to learn all there was to know. And so he sold all his worldly possessions and went far away to a distant land to study in a secluded monastery.

After traveling for days and nights, he came to an ancient stone building at the edge of a rocky cliff that was jutting out of a steep mountainside.

He went up to the heavy wooden door and knocked.

The door creaked open and an old man appeared wearing a long robe and holding a wooden staff.

"What do you want?" asked the old Master of the monastery.

"I want to know everything there is to know." Said the man.

"Everything?" said the Master.

"Everything." Said the man.

The old monk looked hard at the man and said, "Come in."

He entered the monastery and the old monk lead him down a narrow stone hallway to a small door on the right side. He entered the room.

Inside the room there was a stone bed, an old wooden table with a huge wax candle, and all around were stacks and stacks of books piled from floor to ceiling, filling the entire room.

The man happily began to read the books. He read from early morning until late into the night. Whenever he was not attending to his tasks at the monastery, he read.

After a few weeks had passed, one day there was a knock on his door, and the old Master with the staff entered his room.

"Well,?" said the Master. "Have you learned everything there is to know?"

"No, Master, I have not." Said the man. At which point, the Master took up his wooden staff and began beating the man about the head and shoulders…and then he left.

The man was stunned…and then he got down to studying even harder. He studied long into the wee small hours of the morning, before his duties began. He barely took time to eat or sleep. He read and read and read.

After a few weeks had passed, again there was a knock on his door, and the old master with the staff entered his room.

"Well,?" said the Master. "Now, have you learned everything there is to know?"

"No, Master, I have not." Said the man. At which point the Master took up his staff and began to beat the man about the head and shoulders…and then he left.

Time went by, and every few weeks, the Master would come to the mans room and ask him the same question. And the man would give the same answer, and receive the same beating about the head and shoulders.

Many wearisome months went by like this, again one day, there was a knock on his door, and the old Master with the staff entered his room.

"Now,” said the Master, "Today, do you know everything there is to know?"

"No" said the man, "I  do not.” At which point, the Master took up his staff and lifted it high in the air… but this time, the man put out his hand and stopped the staff in mid-air.

Suddenly, the Master burst out laughing.

"Master" said the man, "Why are you laughing? I have failed miserably. It is impossible. I will never know everything there is to know." 

"I am laughing " said the Master, "because I am happy for you. For today, you have learned two things, my son.  One, that you will never know everything there is to know. And two, how to stop the pain."