Barber Monk was a new member of the Monastery who would mow the Monastery lawns all day long. Though the lawns had begun to look very pretty, Barber Monk would still keep mowing them. No one understood why he was improving what already looked perfect.
Soon, many postcards and letters began arriving at the Monastery. Sensei would read them and smile. None of the monks understood what was written in them.
This morning, a large poster was delivered to the Monastery. When Sensei saw it, he clapped with happiness and showed it to Barber Monk.
After morning meditation, Sensei requested Barber Monk to share his story. Barber Monk said, “I was a crude barber assigned to the local prison. There, I would shave the hair of all the inmates when they first came in. Later, I would trim their hair very short. Soon, I realized that the gentle shaving and trimming of the criminals’ hair made them a bit more civil and less hostile. How they appeared to others and also to themselves made them better humans. I improved them, just by being a barber.
After I left the prison, I became a professional barber, set up a salon and created a nice clientele. I would create unique hairstyles to make depressed people happier; help housewives feel confident and make angry, aggressive men a bit sober. My hairstyling created positivity for the others.
After a few years, I realized that I had nothing more to prove and hence joined the Monastery. And here I am using my barber skills on the lawns and for benefit of the other monks.”
Barber Monk finished speaking and bowed to Sensei.
Surprised by his humility, Sensei stood up and turned the large poster that had come in the morning for everyone to see. The monks gasped. The main lawns of the Monastery had beautiful grass patterns of smiling Buddhas etched on them, as seen from the skies! The poster was a large photograph captured by an airplane passenger, who had written-in to thank Sensei for making the earth look so beautiful! The earlier letters and postcards to Sensei had said the same thing.
Sensei said, “Barber Monk first made prisoners gentle by his hair trimming and later his clients happy with his hairstyling. But here in the Monastery, he created beauty for the lawns, even without the lawns knowing! When you can make others beautiful without them realizing it at all, you are truly on the right path.”
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