Theos-Talk Archives (September 2006 Message tt00338)

A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, 
had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility 
was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried.
A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts 
about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit 
living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.
The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the 
meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The 
meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea 
made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. 
The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which 
he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the 
hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit 
spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!
"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.
"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You 
are pronouncing the mantra */incorrectly/*!"
"Oh, Dear! That */is/* terrible. How */should /*I say it?"
The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was 
very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right 
away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an 
accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.
"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little 
time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator 
noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see 
the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.
"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct 
pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"
"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man 
persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told 
him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.
The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and 
over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.