Once upon a time there lived a wise Buddhist master with some of his disciples in a peaceful monastery nestled in the mountains.
The monastery was surrounded by nature, singing birds, rustling leaves and the gentle whisper of the wind making it a place of deep meditation and reflection.
One quiet evening, the master and his disciples were sitting in the front yard of the monastery.
The sun was setting behind the hills casting a golden glow on the trees.
As they sat in silence, one of the disciples broke the silence and asked, “Master, you have told us many stories, but you have never told us about your own teacher.
Please tell us who was your master, what was his name, and what did he teach you? The master smiled gently and looked at the young monks around him.
Then with a calm voice, he replied, I did not have one particular master in my life.
In fact, I had many.
I have learned something from everyone I have met.
Life itself has been my greatest teacher.
The disciples listened with curiosity as the master began his story.
The master continued in the beginning of my spiritual journey.
I was very proud of my knowledge and discipline.
One dark evening while walking through a village I saw a young boy carrying a candle.
He was heading toward the temple.
I tried to test him and to show off my wisdom.
I asked him, “Son, when you left your house, this candle was not lit.
Can you tell me where the light came from?” I expected him to be confused.
But instead, the boy calmly blew out the candle and asked me, “Now that the light is gone, can you tell me where it went?” I was stunned.
I had no answer.
In that moment, I realized how much pride I had in my little knowledge.
That child without saying much had shown me a deep truth.
Real wisdom does not always come from big talks or complex ideas.
But sometimes it comes from simple moments and honest questions.
That boy became one of my first teachers.
He reminded me that true learning begins when the ego ends.
From that day on, I became humbler and more open to learning from everyone around me.
Months later, the master continued.
I was traveling from one village to another.
On the way, I walked by pond and sigh thirsty dog trying to drink water.
But every time he approached the pond, he saw his own reflection and got scared.
Thinking it was another dog, he barked and stepped back.
Again and again, he tried, but fear stopped him every time.
I stood there watching curiously.
Finally, after many failed attempts, the dog stepped back, gathered courage, and with a determined leap, jumped into the pond.
He quenched his thirst and came out joyfully begging his tail.
That day I learned that fear is nothing but a reflection of our own mind.
If we face it with courage, we can overcome it.
That dog too became my master.
My third master said the master was a thief.
One night I arrived late in a new village.
It was dark and I was not known to anyone.
I was looking for a temple to rest but the streets were empty.
Then I saw a man trying to break a wall.
I approached him and asked lightly, “Brother, can you tell me where the temple is? I am a traveler and need a place to rest.
” The man laughed and replied, “I am not a mason.
I am a thief.
I am trying to break into a house but you look tired.
Come stay at my home.
Surprised by his honesty, I agreed.
He seemed simplehearted though misguided.
That night and for several nights after I stayed at his small home.
Every time he went out to steal, he prayed sincerely before leaving.
Each night he returned and said, “Today was not successful, but tomorrow I will definitely succeed.
” He mostly targeted rich people who had earned money through corruption or by deceiving the poor.
One night he finally succeeded and returned with stolen goods.
He was feeling satisfied.
He taught me that no matter how many times you fail in life, you should never lose hope of succeeding.
Then I suggested him to use right path to earn his living.
Later he gave up stealing and started a small business of his own.
That thief too became one of my teachers.
Then the master looked at his disciples and said gently, “So these were three of my many masters, a child, a dog, and a thief.
Each of them taught me something that no book or scripture could ever.
Life offers such lessons in the most unexpected ways.
You just need eyes to see it and hard to understand.
” Then he paused and concluded, “Always remember life is our greatest master.
If you keep learning, keep reflecting and remain open, life will lead you to wisdom far beyond.
[Music] If we see in our life, we will find that in life not all lessons come from books or teachers.Sometimes they come from the people and moments we least expect.
A child, an animal and even someone we might look down on can teach us valuable lesson in our life.
In this story, a wise master says his teachers were a young boy, a frightened dog and a thief.
None of them were perfect and none of them had big knowledge.
But each of them taught him something real, something he could never forget.
That’s how life works.
It teaches us through experience.
A mistake, a failure, a painful moment.
These things shape us more than any advice ever could.
We often forget what people say, but we don’t forget what we have lived through.
A heartbreak teaches us the value of trust.
A loss in business teaches us what we have done wrong.
A hard time shows us who are our true friends.
But to learn, we have to stay open.
If we think we already know everything, we will miss the lessons right in front of us.
Pride blocks growth.
Ego shuts the door.
But when we stay humble and curious, every moment becomes a chance to grow.
Those who learn from their experiences rarely fail twice in their life.
They may stumble once, but that lesson becomes their strength.
On the other hand, those who refuse to learn keep repeating the same mistakes in their life.
Whether in business, relationships or any other area of life.
Even in the life of Kotam Buddha, Siddhhat learned through his own experiences.
And it was that journey that transformed him into the Buddha.
So pay attention.
Let life teach you.
Let every experience, good or bad, be a lesson.
Learn from your past.
Learn from others.
Learn from your own mistakes.
Because those who keep learning keep growing and those who keep growing always keep rising no matter what life throws their way.
In the end it is not about knowing everything.
But it is about never stopping your journey of becoming wiser, kinder and stronger.
0 Comments