Story of Three Totally Different "Masters"

[Still_Waters]

I must introduce this story by saying that I got the story from Dwai, a poster on another site. It triggered a lengthy discussion on what exactly is a "true master" and what type of a student is best suited for each type of Master. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and still do).

STORY OF THE THREE MASTERS:


Once a sincere student goes to an old master reputed to the best, who has only 3-4 students sitting around him in silence. Not a word is spoken. The student sits for a few days but gets frustrated and leaves to go the master who is reputed to be second best, who has 10-15 students sitting around him and they all are doing some yogic practices with minimal words being uttered. The student spends a few more days here and finally, sufficiently frustrated in his ability to get the answers he was seeking, he goes to the third best master. Upon reaching there he sees hundreds of students and the master is preaching the truths, expounding on the sutras for hours on end. Student finds himself being very happy. After a few days he approaches the master and says “master, it looks like you are not getting the credit you deserve. When I was asking for references to great masters, I was told you are only third best in the land, the other two masters A & B are considered best and second best respectively! How unfair...I visited them both before coming to you, and i found your teachings to be most meaningful. Please master, tell me how I can help you remedy this gross injustice!”

To that the master C replied .. “what did you see when you went to master A?”

student replied “he wasn’t teaching anything, just sitting quietly and smiling!”



master C asked “what about master B?”



student replied “he was just teaching some meditation and yogic techniques and using very few words!”



To that master C replied “ my dear student, how I wish I was able to teach like masters A and B. They are both at a higher level than me, and so, master B is able to teach what I can convey with hours of lectures with his presence along with just simple statements and meditative techniques, while master A doesn’t even need to say anything, his mere presence is all it takes for the teachings to be transmitted! You my dear student were not prepared for masters A or B, and that’s why you couldn’t benefit from their teachings.”



student retorted “ so why where there only a handful of students with each of these masters, while you have hundreds?”



master C replied “that’s because most of the students are not qualified for the other masters’ teachings yet. They have to attain a degree of purification of the mind to comprehend what they teach. So they come to me, as I give them material in a way that will help their minds grasp. It is a longer path.”