An old monk calls in his students for a meeting. He tells them “soon my time will past and one of you will carry on my teaching, you must prove to me you are ready.  He who feels they are enlightened should write something on the black board to prove to me you are.”

The students all look at each other, alarmed that the master will be gone, but wondering who will be the successor. One boy shines above the rest. He is a born leader, confident and proud. He looks at his fellow junior monks and states, “tonight I will write on the board.”

That night the young leader returns to the class room and writes “The mind is a mirror with dust settled on it. Clean off the dust and you become enlightened.” The next morning as the students and the Master return to the classroom the boy proudly shows his teacher what he has written.  The monk frowns and says, “you are wrong, you are not enlightened. Is there nobody here to take my place?”

From the back of the classroom steps a young man, someone nobody really knows. He keeps to himself most of the time. Quietly working on his study and his meditation.  The master looks at him and says “are you the new leader?” The young monk replies “no master I am not.” What are you then?” the master asks. The young monk replies “I am aware.” The master looks and says “The tell me what is wrong with this writing!”

The boy quietly says “There is no mind, therefore there is no mirror, so were can the dust settle?” The master looks at the boy and smiles. “You are truly an enlightened sole my young student. You will succeed me.”

The mind lives only in the past or in the future. We are the present. Conquer the mind and be free.

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