Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas

by Leigh Brasington

There is a Tibetan story about a young man who studied for many years with a master. Finally his teacher told him it was time to go off on his own and meditate. He found a cave not too far from a village where he could go on alms rounds and settled in to practice. During the next 20 years, he learned to walk on water—a shortcut to town since there was a river between his cave and the village. One day he was in town and heard news that his old master was coming for a visit. He excitedly returned home to his cave and made it as nice as he could. And sure enough a few days later his master appeared. They had a joyful reunion. After exchanging many greetings and good wishes, his master said to him, “Well, what have you learned in these 20 years?” The no-longer-so-young man stood up, walked down to the river, and strode across to the other side. He came back all smiles. But his master said to him, “You fool! You’ve wasted 20 years of your life! There’s a bridge a quarter mile upstream.”