Silence

A young man in Japan arranged his circumstances so that he was able to travel to a distant island to study Zen with a certain Master for a three year period. At the end of three years, feeling no sense of accomplishment, he presented himself to the Master and announced his departure. The Master said, "You've been here three years, why don't you stay three months more?" The student agreed, but at the end of the three months he sill felt that he had made no advance. When he told the Master again that he was leaving, the Master said, "Look now, you've been here three years and three months. Stay three weeks longer." The student did, but with no success. When he told the master that absolutely nothing had happened, the Master said, "You've been here three years, three months, and three weeks. Stay three more days, and if at the end of that time you have not attained enlightenment, commit suicide." Towards the end of the second day, the student was enlightened.