“Is there such a thing as one-minute wisdom?” asked the disciples.
“There certainly is,” said the Master.
“But surely one minute is too brief?”
“It is fifty-nine seconds too long.”
To his puzzled disciples, the Master later said, “How much time does it take to catch sight of the moon?”
“Then why all these years of spiritual endeavour?”
“Opening one’s eyes may take a lifetime. Seeing is done in a flash.”
Anthony de Mello
Source: http://www.techofheart.co/
Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer and public speaker, De Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West.
Image: A postage stamp of Vietnam (1997) showing the reclining Buddha of Gal Vihara. Courtesy https://www.buddhiststamp.com/