A prince was sent by the king to a Zen master to master the art of awareness which was inevitable to rule the kingdom. The king also was trained under the same master. The master welcomed the young prince. Mster said: "your training is for 3 years. Every year you need to pass a test". Prince agreed. For the first year the test was like this: Master always carries a wooden rod. Any time the master may come to hit you. You need to escape without getting a beat. For our prince that was just a fun, like a game! He enjoyed it. He was very alert that he didn't get even a single beat in the course of an year. Zen master was very happy. He announced that the prince has won the first year test and now should be ready for the second year test. Prince readily agreed.For the second year, the test was like this: Even nights during sleeping hours the master might come and beat you. Instead of a wooden block, the master now carries an iron rod. That was a bit challenging for our young prince. Still he decided to give it a trial lest he would be misqualified to rule the kingdom as his father's descendant. Prince became even more alert now. Even during sleep he would hear the footsteps of his master approaching and will escape without getting a beat. Practicing this for an entire year, he became very sharp and alert. Zen master announced that the prince has won the second year test and should be ready for the final year now. Prince too was very happy of his achievement. He asked what was the test for this year.
Master said: "This year, I'll be carrying a sword. I'll come any time to chop your head off. If you are not aware enough, you are not eligilble to live. This is the instruction to me from your father". The prince was stunt for a moment. He thought this was too much. He thought, 'if the master is testing me so much, I should test his awareness. Tonight I will go and chop his head off while he sleeps'. Zen master smiled and said: " I can hear the footsteps of your thoughts !"
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