The Book Of The Arrow

The arrow

1. A student travelled long and far to see the master so that he could learn from his wisdom.
2. After many years travel in foreign lands he found him in an isolated mountain village.
3. He saw the master hard at work making an arrow.
4. And not wishing to disturb him, merely watched, glad he had reached his destination at last.
5. However, soon relief turned into puzzlement.
6. For each time that the master completed an arrow he held it to the light. And the student beheld they were magnificent: light, long, sharp, in every respect exquisitely perfect.
7. Then, each time, the master snapped them in two and threw them on the fire.
8. Finally the monk could contain himself no longer. "Who" he said, "Who is this man or God or beast so great that you need an arrow even more marvellous than these, the finest I have seen in many lands, to kill it".
9. And the master didn't look but merely held another perfect arrow to the light. Then snapped it and threw it on the fire.
10. In that moment the monk was enlightened.