Asked the student: "Wise man, you seem to react to all situations in a nice and kind manner. Do you wish us to follow that example?"
Answered the teacher: "If the situation thus allows."
Asked the student: "What good does it do to be nice? What's in it for me?"
Explained the teacher: "Remember we discussed our purpose in life? Well, how much can we learn if we are brutal and aggressive all the time? How much can we experience if we make others afraid of us, and force them to stay away? How can we achieve our goals if we ourselves react one-sidedly and out of balance?"
Insisted the student: "But I see people being very brutal and aggressive all the time... they seem to achieve their goals much faster."
Said the teacher: "Oh sure. For short term goals, brutality can be a powerful tool. In the long run however, one needs to be able to conduct oneself in more ways than brutality alone."
Asked the student: "In what ways can we conduct ourselves then, wise man?"
Explained the teacher: "We can be as steadfast as the earth upon which we stand, as defensive as the waves of the sea, as agressive as the flames of fire, or as evasive as the wind. These categories we call the elements. Every other behaviour fits somewhere into or in-between these elements."
Asked the student: "How do I know when to conduct myself in any of those ways?"
Answered the teacher: "For that we have excercises. We will begin with the element of earth, and add the others in time, when you are ready."
Asked the student: "Then won't I be horribly one-sided during that first period?"
Said the teacher: "Yes, you will be horribly pig-headed. Do not worry, that can be a good trait too. By the time you have mastered all elements, we will work on creating balance between them."
Continued the student: "And then what?"
Answered the teacher: "Then you start over."
Asked the student: "Start over? But I will already know everything, why would I need to do everything a second time?"
Retorted the teacher: "When you first learnt how to write, were you able to create poetry?"
Answered the student shamefully: "No, wise man, I wasn't. I understand."
Said the teacher: "Good. Then your next assignment is, to find out as much as you can about the element called Earth."
Insisted the student: "But I see people being very brutal and aggressive all the time... they seem to achieve their goals much faster."
Said the teacher: "Oh sure. For short term goals, brutality can be a powerful tool. In the long run however, one needs to be able to conduct oneself in more ways than brutality alone."
Asked the student: "In what ways can we conduct ourselves then, wise man?"
Explained the teacher: "We can be as steadfast as the earth upon which we stand, as defensive as the waves of the sea, as agressive as the flames of fire, or as evasive as the wind. These categories we call the elements. Every other behaviour fits somewhere into or in-between these elements."
Asked the student: "How do I know when to conduct myself in any of those ways?"
Answered the teacher: "For that we have excercises. We will begin with the element of earth, and add the others in time, when you are ready."
Asked the student: "Then won't I be horribly one-sided during that first period?"
Said the teacher: "Yes, you will be horribly pig-headed. Do not worry, that can be a good trait too. By the time you have mastered all elements, we will work on creating balance between them."
Continued the student: "And then what?"
Answered the teacher: "Then you start over."
Asked the student: "Start over? But I will already know everything, why would I need to do everything a second time?"
Retorted the teacher: "When you first learnt how to write, were you able to create poetry?"
Answered the student shamefully: "No, wise man, I wasn't. I understand."
Said the teacher: "Good. Then your next assignment is, to find out as much as you can about the element called Earth."