The Hardest Part

Once upon a time there lived a Zen master with his disciples. As the Zen master had grown quite old, he had to choose a successor. One of the disciples was exceptionally talented and hardworking, and was regarded as second only to the master.

Yet on the day of selecting the successor, the master choose not him but another. This infuriated the young disciple, who made it clear to the master that what he had done was not fair.

The Zen master looked at the young man and said “While you have perfected almost all the lessons and teachings, there is still one lesson that you have not learnt.”

The disciple, who was now seething with rage, shouted at the master “What is this lesson that I have not learnt? And why haven’t you taught it to me?”

“You are learning it right now.” the Zen master replied “The lesson of life. The lesson that teaches you that it is possible to commit no mistakes at all and still lose. This lesson teaches you that losing is not a weakness. Not always.”

“But I don’t understand!” said the perplexed young disciple.

“Yes” replied the old master, “and that is the hardest part.”

- Sir Adam Atriy, Parables of Fate