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One day a young boy and an old man were walking along the road with their donkey when they were stopped by a stranger. The stranger told the old man that he was foolish not to let the young boy ride the donkey. The old man followed the stranger's advice. A while later, a second man told the old man it would be smarter if both would ride the donkey. Again the old man followed the stranger's advice. Still later a third stranger stopped the old man and told him how cruel they were to the donkey. He suggested they carry the donkey instead. The old man and the young boy thus proceeded to carry the donkey. While the three were crossing a bridge, the donkey suddenly got startled, causing them to drop the donkey over the bridge. The old man and young boy were very sad that they had lost the donkey.

The point to this story: If you try to please everyone, you might end up pleasing no one, especially yourself. So use your own logic to analyze the situation.

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The Elephant

Once upon a time in India, five blind men came across an elephant. Each of the five examined a different part to determine what an elephant was like. The first man examined the ear and thought an elephant was very much like a leaf. The second man examined the side of the elephant and thought an elephant was very much like a mountain. The third man examined the elephant's tail and thought an elephant was very much like a rope. The fourth man examined the elephant's leg and thought an elephant was very much like a tree. The fifth man examined the elephant's trunk and thought an elephant was very much like a snake. Then they all went away to tell their story of what an elephant was like.

The moral is: Don't be narrow minded and make hasty judgements. Try to see and understand your art completely, as well as the art of others.

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How long?

One day a student came to learn martial arts from a famous master. The student was anxious to learn the art that the master taught. After practicing very hard for many months, the student said, "Master,how long will it take me to get good?" The master replied, "Ten years." The student then said, "What if I practice even harder than that?" The master replied, "20 years." The surprised student then said, "But what if I practiced the hardest I can practice?" The master replied, "30 years."

The master went on to explain, "If you have one eye on your destination, then you have only one eye with which to find the way."

The moral is: You can learn no faster than to totally concentrate on what is being taught to you at the moment. Don't worry about what comes next. When you learn what was taught, then the next thing will come.

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The Teacup

One day a professor came to visit a Zen master to inquire about Zen. It was obvious to the Zen master from the start of the conversation that the professor was more interested in expressing his own opinions than to learn anything about Zen. After listening quietly, the master poured the professor some tea until the professor's cup overflowed. The professor jumped up quickly and said, "Stop, my cup can hold no more!" The master then went on to explain, "Like this cup, your mind is full, leaving you no room to accept anything new. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

The point to this story: To empty one's mind of old habits and old knowledge and be open-minded to new learning.

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The Path

True strength results in a giving and compassionate spirit. The need to exhibit force is a sure sign of insecurity. When we have truly overcome our own demons, we feel no need to control, condemn or punish others. If others attempt to oppress you, you can chose not to take part. You can chose to lead your life outside of the control of another. We all have the ability to chose our own path. No one can take that empowerment away from us. We only give it up by choice. Don't strive for greatness. Live a chain of positive deeds and you will find peace. If greatness comes from this, it is deserved.