Gurur buddhyātmano nānyat satyam satyam na samśayah,
Tallābhārtham prayatnastu kartavyo hi manīsibhih |
There was a young student-archer who was learning archery from an elderly guru. Out of his interest he started to practise it intensely daily. He became such an expert that he could shoot an arrow into a tree and then break that arrow into two with the next shot.
He began to boast that he was a greater archer than his guru. One day his guru, a venerable old man in his 70’s, asked the youth to accompany him on a trip across the hills. On the way up, they came near the edge of a cliff.
There was a single log piece which connected this cliff to the adjacent one.
The guru walked to the center of the log, took his bow and taking an arrow shot it into a tree on the other side.
His next shot broke the first arrow into two, effortlessly. “Now it’s your turn,” he said, walking back to where his student was standing.
The youth stepped gingerly on the log and very slowly and carefully made his way to the middle. But his heart was in his mouth. He knew that if he lost his footing, he would plunge to his death. His hands trembled as he strung an arrow into his bow. Preoccupied with the danger he was in, he found it hard to focus on the target.
Consequently when he let go of the arrow, it missed the tree altogether. Whimpering, he turned around. “Help me!” he shouted to his guru. “I’ ll fall!”
The old man walked up to him, took his hand and stepping backwards led him to safety. Neither of them said a word on the return journey but the boy had much to think about.
He regretted for under-estimating his guru and later he sought forgiveness for the same.
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