Lesson 1

MASTER: ‘I’ve been travelling many years and the road has had many twists and turns, steep hills and stony ground. I’ve come to many crossroads not knowing where to go next. Should I walk straight ahead? Should I turn left, or perhaps right? Not knowing if I was taking a road that would lead me to where I was supposed to be, I always hesitated. I was given 88 years in which to complete this journey and now I know the end is near’.

FATHER: ‘How can you possibly know when your journey is coming to an end? None of us know that. And if you have struggled what hope have I – or any of us’?

MOTHER: ‘My grandmother told me to be always ready. That none of us knew when our journey would end.’

MASTER: ‘Your grandmother was a wise woman. And I’m no different from you. I’m an ordinary man. A human being so why should I not struggle. The road to enlightenment is complex and we can but do our best.

FATHER: ‘So what is the purpose of all this? Why does it have to be a struggle?’

MASTER: ‘It’s in our nature to struggle. Finding the right way isn’t easy, nor was it meant to be. That struggle makes us try harder, makes us look deep inside our souls. It illuminates us. We learn from our mistakes. We learn from our parents. You are holding two precious new lives in your arms. A True gift. They are at the beginning of their journey.

MOTHER: ‘They are identical twins.’

The Master laughed. ‘Not quite. One is male and one is female. They think differently. The paths they take in life will be different. They are individuals and totally unique. What is it you want for them?’

FATHER: ‘I want them to have what I never had. The right trainers, new clothes – not second-hand, a good education, music lessons and some form of martial arts. Things I’ve always wanted to learn but it wasn’t possible.’

MASTER: ‘And you think these are the best gifts you can give them?’

FATHER: ‘Of course. Without all that they will find it difficult to progress. People judge others on how they are dressed, where they live, where they went to school. They need to be self-sufficient and able to protect themselves.’

The Master looked lovingly at his pupil. He did not reply. The long silence made his pupil feel uneasy.

FATHER: ‘You think I’m wrong, don’t you?’

grandson

MASTER: ‘It’s not for me to tell you how to raise your children. I don’t know what path you have to follow and you don’t know what path they have to follow. Let me ask you both a few questions. Do you want to give them love?’

PARENTS: ‘Of course. That’s automatic.’

The Master laughed. ‘It’s good you are in agreement, but that won’t always be the case. And you both believe that loving them is automatic.’

MOTHER: ‘Of course. How could one not love these two precious beings. They are perfect.’

MASTER: ‘Do you want to teach them responsibility?’

FATHER: ‘Of course. That goes without saying. Automatic.’

MASTER: ‘Do you want to teach them right from wrong? What is immoral and what is moral?’

FATHER: ‘Of course – That’s aut……’

disney world

The Master held his hand up. ‘Nothing is automatic. We all have to work at it. These new lives are your responsibility now. You must teach them values. You must show them how to follow their own path – not yours. Everyone’s journey is different and it is not up to us to make our children live our dreams, our lives. They have their own.Your gifts to them must be: valour, kindness, moral and mental strength, honesty, compassion, and love.

However, do not neglect to teach them how to test the stones in the wall before they step on them to make sure they are secure. Teach them how to climb safely, but also teach them how to climb down without falling. If they fall, teach them how to get up and restore their balance mentally and physically.

MOTHER: ‘This is silly. All kids know how to climb. They learn that in the park on the climbing frames.’

MASTER: ‘And will you be there to catch them when they fall? Dry their tears when they hurt themselves?’

MOTHER: ‘Of course. It’s my duty. My responsibility as a parent.’

MASTER: ‘I admire your confidence. But remember one day you will not be there to catch them when they fall. It won’t always be possible for you to comfort them and dry their tears. What do you want for your children?’

MOTHER: ‘I want them to work hard at everything they do – to be successful.’

MASTER: ‘What does success mean to you?’

MOTHER: ‘Having a good job, earning enough money to support themselves and any family they may have. Being happy.’

MASTER: ‘What does happiness mean to you?’

MOTHER: ‘It’s a sense of peace. A feeling that all is right in your world. It’s knowing that you are going in the right direction.’

MASTER: ‘Are you happy? Are you at peace?’

FATHER: ‘She will be when she buys her new designer shoes later. That is when she truly smiles.’

MOTHER: ‘You’re wrong. I smile at my children all the time. They make me feel happy. When I hold them I feel totally at peace. The world stops for a few moments and I know that their lives will be blessed.’

MASTER: ‘Blessed in what way?’

MOTHER: ‘Good education. Financial security. Their own home. No struggle to put food on the table or even go hungry. Careers they are passionate about and will progress in. All the usual things we want, that everyone wants for their children.’

MASTER: ‘And if all of us this is taken away. What will they have left? Will you teach them to have strong self-esteem? Will you teach them that failure means a reason to get up and try again and again and again? Will you teach them that there is no shame in failure. It’s a lesson learned, a spring-board into a new – albeit different future.

Your journey as parents has only begun and you have a long road to travel. You will learn a great deal along the way. There will be times when it’s difficult, times when there appear to be no answers, times when all seems lost, but you will always find that inner strength to keep going, and the love you both have for your children will grow. That love will never let you down. It will always be there. Allow your children to see the strength of that unconditional love and believe that you have given them all the right tools to travel whatever path they have chosen. Believe in them.