30 May 2019

There's a story about a great master reaching the end of his time. He knows the end is nigh so summons his two top students, both great teachers in their own right, for their final instruction. The two students are equally impressive but have very different characters, one a joyous though nervous extrovert and the other a deep though gloomy introvert. After they arrive and happy greetings are over the master asks them both to describe their respective practice regimes. Both of course feel they are practising exactly what the master taught them but inevitably it becomes clear that each has inadvertently designed a regime that best suits their particular character. So the shrewd master gives the simple, final teaching: "Both of you practice what the other has developed, for the rest of your days." It's all about balance. And breaking the mould.

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