Water Bucket Training
Long ago, a Martial Arts Grandmaster explained to his three most promising students that they were about to undergo an unusual form of training, and that the one who succeeded would eventually become his heir.
Each of the three students was handed a water bucket, and a huge water barrel was placed in front of each of them. The teacher told them that the first one to fill up their barrel with water from a nearby stream would win. On the order to start, all three ran to the stream, filled their buckets, hurried back and poured the water into their barrels. Much to their surprise, they found the water rushing out the bottom. When they looked inside, they discovered the barrels had no bottoms!
“What a hopeless test,” they thought. Still, continuing to humor the teacher, they exhausted themselves throughout the night. The next morning the teacher inspected the results and declared that each had failed to fill his barrel.
The students protested angrily. Finally, the teacher said, "I am willing to give you each one more chance. Everyone return tomorrow morning."
Arriving early the next morning, the barrels were again brought before them and they hurriedly checked the bottoms. Each had been fixed with a bottom. Their assurance was replaced with shock when they discovered that their buckets were now bottomless. Feeling humiliated, two of the students threw the buckets down and left in disappointment. The third student decided to follow his teacher's instructions and dipped it into the stream and carried it to the barrel. Although a bottomless bucket can't carry much water, a few drops remained on the side and went into the barrel. After great effort, a few drops at a time, the barrel was filled with water. He was chosen as the successor and the best choice after all.
A student without the proper attitude for training is like the bottomless barrel. He retains nothing.
Each of the three students was handed a water bucket, and a huge water barrel was placed in front of each of them. The teacher told them that the first one to fill up their barrel with water from a nearby stream would win. On the order to start, all three ran to the stream, filled their buckets, hurried back and poured the water into their barrels. Much to their surprise, they found the water rushing out the bottom. When they looked inside, they discovered the barrels had no bottoms!
“What a hopeless test,” they thought. Still, continuing to humor the teacher, they exhausted themselves throughout the night. The next morning the teacher inspected the results and declared that each had failed to fill his barrel.
The students protested angrily. Finally, the teacher said, "I am willing to give you each one more chance. Everyone return tomorrow morning."
Arriving early the next morning, the barrels were again brought before them and they hurriedly checked the bottoms. Each had been fixed with a bottom. Their assurance was replaced with shock when they discovered that their buckets were now bottomless. Feeling humiliated, two of the students threw the buckets down and left in disappointment. The third student decided to follow his teacher's instructions and dipped it into the stream and carried it to the barrel. Although a bottomless bucket can't carry much water, a few drops remained on the side and went into the barrel. After great effort, a few drops at a time, the barrel was filled with water. He was chosen as the successor and the best choice after all.
A student without the proper attitude for training is like the bottomless barrel. He retains nothing.
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