Mastery: The Taste of Banzo's Sword

"A person in such a hurry seldom gets good results."

- Anonymous

Read a great zen koan (story), The Taste of Banzo’s Sword, by Ashida Kim.

Here’s how it starts:

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him.

So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found the famous swordsman Banzo. But Banzo confirmed the father's judgment.

"You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?" asked Banzo.

"You cannot fulfill the requirements."

"But if I work hard, how many years will it take me to become a master?" persisted the youth.....

For the rest of the story, go to the following link:

http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/91thetasteofbanzossword.html

The moral of the story, to master a craft you can’t expect to overnight success, nor can you rush the process.

Work hard, be patient, stay persistent, be passionate, and make it a life’s work!

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