WORTH READING 13 Oct 2005

Concentration

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful
champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an
archer.

The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he
hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow
with his second shot.

"There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for
the young archer to follow him up the mountain.
Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him
high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a
rather flimsy and shaky log.
Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly
perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target,
drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit.

"Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the
safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and
beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out
onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his
challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind
that lets loose the shot."

People's reactions to this story: Lateral Thinking

"Having a big ego gets you nowhere. Some people need to be taken down
a peg or two. If you boast and brag, sooner or later someone is going
to put you in your place."

"Physical skills are not enough. There also has to be a balance
between mind and body. Your mind has to be open and curious."

"You can be highly skilled at something, but still not have a very
creative mind."

"There's a big difference between talent and a disciplined mind. A
disciplined mind is the most crucial element in mastering an art."

"It's just like my mother always used to tell me. 'EXPERIENCE is the
real teacher.' We can learn a lot from our elders."

"The real talent is being able to apply your skills even in the most
adverse situation- without fear, hesitation, or doubt."

"The mind can work with you, or against you."

"People who brag usually lack confidence and are insecure on the
inside. Eventually, this results in their failing."

"Pride cometh before the FALL (pun intended)."

"The mind is the most powerful weapon."

"Learning is most powerful when your knowledge is tested under many
different circumstances. The young archer was skilled under very
specific conditions, but he was unable to apply that skill in an
unfamiliar environment."

"The boy was a good archer but he seemed to be doing it only for the
competition. The old man did it because he enjoyed it, not to prove
anything. This gave him a sense of control."

"An interesting story about how fear can rule one's life."

"This is a great story to teach children who feel that they are
stupid or can't do anything right."

"No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn. But
also, everyone should be respected for whatever knowledge they have."

"The champion has good raw talent but he doesn't know how to use it
properly. He's a show-off and will probably waste his talent. If he
used his skill in a constructive way - like teaching archery, or for
hunting for food or clothing - maybe someday he too will become wise."

"Just goes to show you - don't show off a talent until you've
perfected it."

"If you're talented at something, at least be gracious about it. This
kind of boasting person really turns me off. I love to see someone
really skilled put them in their place!"

"What IS 'talent' anyway? Being good at one thing in one situation?
Seems kind of narrow to me."

"The key is not that the champion was a braggart. He was better at
archery than the master. However, everyone excels at something. The
master at controlling his fear and the champion at shooting a bow.
What makes the master wise is that he could put the champion at such
a disadvantage by maximizing his own skills while minimizing the
braggarts

"Everyone is better when on solid ground. You're more assertive, more
sure of yourself, etc. But when your stability is taken away, you are
simply a child learning everything anew."

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