A Master Teacher and a
Little Girl
by Regina Dawn Akers
A Master Teacher
and a Little Girl
There was once a master teacher who was
renowned for helping people to rid themselves of the final traces of ego.
Once, a young girl was brought to this master teacher. The master teacher was
told that in spite of her young and tender age, the little girl was nearly
enlightened. Her parents brought her to the master teacher so he could help
her to rid herself of the last traces of ego.
With permission from the parents to try
any method that he thought would be successful, the master teacher walked up
to the young girl and struck her on the face. He then turned and started to
walk away. But the little girl said, “Please, master teacher. I did not feel a
thing. Will you please come back and strike me again?’
The master teacher turned and hit the
girl again, this time harder.
“Nothing, master teacher. I feel nothing
but love and joy.”
The parents asked the master teacher to
try something else. So the master teacher began talking to the girl. He told
her that she was worthless. He criticized her for having the audacity to think
that she was nearly enlightened. He pointed out every flaw that one could see
on her body. But, the girl only smiled.
“I love you, master teacher, and I am
grateful for everything you are giving to me. But still, I sense the ego has
not been seen here.”
The master teacher began to feel
frustrated. Never had anyone come this far without seeing the ego rise up and
attack them. He noticed a hatred rising within his mind. He wanted to kill
this little girl and devour her.
“I will say one more thing,” the master
teacher warned. “And then, I will be done with you!”
“Yes, master teacher,” the little girl
smiled. “Say anything!”
But then, the master teacher stopped. He
realized in that instant that he was not teaching the little girl. The little
girl was teaching him.
The master teacher fell at the little
girl’s feet and thanked her through tears of joy. This little girl had helped
him to see the ego where he had not seen it before, buried deep within the
mind of the master teacher.
The little girl smiled at the man crying
at her feet. “Thank you, master teacher,” she whispered gently. “Now, I feel
the release of our ego.”