One person who embarked on the spiritual path was dissatisfied with the methods that his mentor gave him. He came to his mentor and said:
“I have been using these techniques for ten years now, but I still have not achieved enlightenment. Teach me something else so that I can quickly move along the spiritual path.
The mentor smiled calmly and led the student to the river. The student was worried, believing that he would now learn a new “method” with the help of which he would achieve enlightenment.
When they came ashore, the mentor said:
“Now I want you to bend over the water itself and peer deep into it.”
When the student did as he was told, the mentor pressed the student's head with both hands, immersed it under water and held it there for a full minute. The student tried to resist, but the mentor held him tightly.
Finally, the mentor released the student, and he emerged to the surface, frantically gasping for air. Not understanding anything, the student looked at his mentor with crazy eyes. With the same calm smile, the mentor asked:
- So what were you thinking about there, under water?
The student blurted out:
- Of course, about liberation, about taking a breath of air.
Then the mentor asked:
“And you didn’t have any other thoughts?” Other desires?
“No,” answered the student. - What desires could there be - just to free yourself, to live.
“So,” said the mentor, “when you just as desperately desire enlightenment and you have no other desires left, then you will become enlightened.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru