The Samurai Master
In this spoken monologue, the narrator recounts a traditional Japanese‑style parable about a revered master who accepts only a few disciples. An eager aspiring samurai asks the master how long it will take to become a master himself. The master answers ten years. The samurai, determined to accelerate his progress, asks what would happen if he worked twice as hard, day and night. The master replies that it would then take twenty years. Confused, the samurai questions the logic. The master explains the paradox: “If you have one eye fixed on your destination, then you only have one eye left to find your way.” The story illustrates the danger of obsessively focusing on the end goal, suggesting that true mastery comes from patient, attentive practice rather than speed‑driven effort.
