Pause

A number of students were sitting quietly with their teacher one day when a hunter passed by.  The hunter was surprised to see the renowned teacher sitting there at ease and doing nothing at all, remarking that the man’s inaction appeared to be a waste of precious time.

“Take your bow, cock it, and fire an arrow,” the teacher responded quietly.  And the hunter obliged.

“Cocked your bow and fire another arrow,” the teacher then said.

And the hunter again obliged – again and again and again.  Finally the hunter spoke up: “Teacher, if I continue to cock my bow at this rate, it will break.”

“The same goes for all of us,” said the teacher.  “If we rush ourselves excessively, we will break too.  The right thing to do sometimes is to take a break and cease all activity.”

Zen Story

Question for Reflection

What price am I paying by not stopping even for a moment ?