An old disciple of Sensei’s and his son visited The Monastery.
The old man was in the elevator business and had fitted his elevators in many of the famous buildings of the country.
The old man bowed to Sensei and said, “Greetings Sensei. I come to you with a personal problem. My son has joined me in my elevator business but does not respect hard work. He wants to inherit success, not earn it.”
The young son meekly looked at Sensei but did not bow to him.
Sensei asked the young man, “Son, do you think that your father makes good elevators?”
The son’s face gleamed and he said, “Yes, Sensei! The world’s best.”
Sensei said, “Tell me why these elevators are so good?”
The son said, “Well, the elevators ride very smoothly. They rise without effort. Going from the ground floor to the highest floor becomes effortless for the passenger, when you use our elevators.”
Laughing Monk who was sitting in the audience began to laugh and unnerved the son.
Sensei asked the son, “Son, tell me, which floor do you have your office on?”
The son said, “The 34th floor. And of course, to travel to it, I have a special VIP elevator that allows only me inside. No other elevator opens into that floor except my VIP elevator.”
Sensei clapped thrice, looked at the father and said, “From today onwards, make your son climb the stairs to go to the 34th floor. Disable the VIP elevator till your son learns that in life, despite having access to high speed elevators, one has to climb staircases.”
The son seemed upset and asked Sensei, “Sir, but what will climbing stairs teach me?”
Sensei gurgled and said, “Climbing stairs will teach you the real value of elevators.”
*****