The Master Of The Mind

By Staff

Thursday, July 2, 2009, 16:13

A young champion in archery with a proud and boastful attitude, after having emerged successful in several contests, challenged a Zen master who was a renowned archer too. The young archer exhibited his proficiency by hitting a distant bull's eye and split that arrow with a second shot.

He challenged the Zen master to match his competency.

The Zen master instead of trying out his turn, signalled the young archer to follow him up the mountain. The champion followed the master with curiosity, high up the mountain. They reached a deep gorge spanned by a log that was rather flimsy. The master then calmly stepped on the log and aimed at a distant tree that he had chosen as his target. He sent his shot that hit the target precisely and then stepped back to the safe ground. He then invited the young archer to match his skill. The terror stricken young archer could not in the first place step on to the log taking a look at the bottomless abyss, not to mention about shooting at the target.

The master told him “You are skillful with your bow no doubt, but you have little skill with the mind that sends the shots !"