Carpenter Qing was the best in his craft.
One day he was ordered to make a frame for a bell for the ruler of Lu, and when the work was completed, the frame turned out to be so beautiful that it seemed as if it were the work of the gods or spirits. Ruler Lu came to see and asked the carpenter what the secret of his art was.
“I’m a simple artisan,” answered Qing. -What art are you talking about? I only have small secrets of the craft, and I will tell you about them. When I decided to make a frame for the bell, I didn't want to waste Chi, the energy of life, so I fasted to focus and calm my heart.
After three days of fasting, I no longer thought about rewards, praise, rank or money that I could receive for good work. On the fifth day, I had already forgotten that I could be exalted or humiliated for my work, praised or scolded, I stopped indulging in the thought that my work might seem skillful to some, and rude to others. By the end of the seventh day of fasting, I achieved such concentration of spirit that I completely forgot myself: I could not feel my arms or legs. My craft captured me completely, and everything else ceased to exist for me.
Then I went into the forest and after a while I saw a tree whose shape was just right for the frame. This is how my spirit, freed from vain worries, found the perfect tree. Maybe this is why people say that the frame was made by gods or spirits.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru