Weekend Story-Eye On The Destination

A martial arts student once went to an accomplished teacher to get trained under his guidance. The student told the teacher, “O Master, I’m very eager to learn your martial arts system. How long will it take to master it if I join you?”

In a casual tone, the teacher replied, “Ten years.”

The student was impatient and impetuous. He asked, “I am willing to work very hard, Master. How long will it take if I practice this art every day without fail?”.

The teacher thought for a moment and replied, “20 years.”

In his persistence, the student again asked, “How much time do you think it will take if I train with you for ten hours a day?”

Struggling to keep his composure, the Master responded with an edge in his voice-“Thirty years.”

Now, the student was incredulous. “How can that be, O Master?” he inquired. “If I train longer and harder, my training period must be shorter, right?”

The teacher, by now, had regained his composure. Looking at the youngster, he responded calmly, “Son, it seems like you are in a hurry. To move fast in any journey, you need both eyes to focus on the path in front of you. However, if you go on a trip with one eye concentrating on the trail and another trying to look for the destination, you will go slower.”