There is a story of a young Buddhist boy who sought out the wisest monk in the land and asked him what was the meaning of life? The wise monk was busy staring into a mirror and seemed distracted and didn’t answer the boy until he had asked him three times. The monk then sent him on a quest to uncover the truth and the answer to his question.

 

The boy traveled to foreign lands and faced great dangers, and learned many things but was unable to find what he was looking for. After many years the boy now a man returned to the old monk in anger and questioned him on why he had sent him astray? The monk laughed and said have you not found what you’re looking for? The man was puzzled by the monk’s response and asked him what he meant.

 

The monk replied when you came to me you were but a foolish boy you weren’t ready and couldn’t comprehend the answer to the question that you had asked, but now you have returned as a man full of wisdom. The man still confused asked the monk again what was the meaning of life? The monk then handed him the mirror that he had been staring into when the two had first met and then vanished into thin air.

 

The man sat alone gazing into the mirror that he had been handed until he was interrupted by a young boy who asked him what was the meaning of life? At first the man was in awe of what had happened and couldn’t speak. Finally when the boy had asked him the question for the third time he responded to him as the monk had to him long ago and sent the boy away on a journey to discover the truth for himself.

 

（Story contributed by Trey Vaden）