Be your own master....

An elderly Zen Master is about to die when his disciples gather around him and ask:

"Master, you never told us who your master was." We asked many times, but you always avoided the answer. Now that you are leaving this world, please tell us.

The master replied:

“I never answered that question because I didn’t have an exclusive master, I learned from lots and lots of people. The first I teach was a small child.

I went to a city once. Although I did not know the truth at the time, I was a highly educated and educated man. They are known throughout the country as famous scientists; even abroad. People began to walk up to me, believing that I knew the truth, and I unknowingly pretended to really know it. I was unconscious. I became a teacher without knowing or experiencing anything from the truth. Without entering my own inner world, I talked about things of tremendous significance. I knew all the scriptures, all in my little finger.

But imagine, at the time of the story, I was in a place where no one was known, in a remote country, and I longed for someone to ask me a question already and show me what I knew; but no one asked. I had to keep quiet for three days. It was like a fast for me. I was already very hungry for the audience, someone who was watching me, but I hadn’t met anyone who would have known me. I went into town. In the evening, a little boy was just holding a clay lantern in his hand. I addressed:

- Son, can I ask you something? Where are you taking this clay lamp?

"To the church," the boy replied. My mother said take it with me because it is dark there and my mother has a habit of placing a lantern in the church in the evenings so that the god of the church does not have to be in the dark.

- You look very intelligent. Can you tell me something else? Did you light this lamp yourself?

"Yes," the boy replied.

-Then, please answer another third question. If you lit the lantern, can you tell me where the flame came from? You had to see it.

The boy laughed to himself.

- I will show you something. Just listen, ”he said.

With that, he blew out the flame, then continued:

- The flame is gone before your eyes. Can you tell me where he went? You had to see it!

I couldn't answer, I was ashamed of myself. I leaned down and kissed her foot. He was my first master. At that moment, I realized that all my knowledge of philosophy and metaphysics was useless. I don't know a single thing about myself. Not even where the light comes from and where the light is going from and in the meantime I’m talking about who created the world how and when! After meeting the boy, I threw away all the knowledge I had learned so far; I burned all my holy documents. I gave up on the idea of ​​being famous, throwing my whole reputation so far. I started begging, hiding my identity from everyone and slowly getting deeper and deeper into meditation, discovering my own intelligence. I became one with him ....

With that, the master closed his eyes and left in peace. The disciples stood for a while longer. A deep silence descended on them and they understood everything.

Be a master of yourself. The answers are in you. When you are not learning from your own experience, your knowledge is completely useless.