Once there were two students. One day they were both told that they had received the great honor of seeing the Grand-Master. They were both very excited and humbled by this honor. The two students hiked to a remote mountain top to a very beautiful temple there. Both students were excited to see the Grand-Master.
     The junior student volunteered himself to go first, and he entered in to the master's chamber. The Grand-Master looked very calm.... and silent.... His eyes showed kindness. He said, "Look in the Mystical Window and see the Truth." The junior student looked, and after a while he had a vision. He saw himself holding The Sacred Sword and also holding The Sacred Book. He told the master, "I looked just like the paintings of the saints of old! It was amazing!" The grandmaster said, "Yes indeed" Then the student said, "If I am like the saints of old.... then I must be a very great person!" The Grand-Master assured him, "Indeed, you are very special to God." The student decided that because he is so special he must go and teach others. The junior student left the chamber very excited, saying, "I knew it! I was always treated like a junior student, as if I don't know anything, but I AM A GREAT MAN! Everyone should listen to everything I say. I WILL GO AND TEACH THESE PEOPLE!!!" After he left to teach everyone, the Grand-Master sighed and said to himself, "Indeed you shall."
     The senior student was now called to see the master and told to lok in to the Mystical Window to see the truth. Calmly, she looked in the window. After a while she shared her vision, "Master, I saw myself holding The Sacred Sword in one hand and The Sacred Book in another hand." She explained how in the vision she looked like the saints of old. The Grand-Master said, "Indeed" "Master, if the truth is I am like the saints of old, than does that mean I am a great woman?" The grand-master assured her like he did the junior student, "Indeed you are, you are very special to God." Then the student asked, "If I am a great woman, if I am special to God, if I am like the saints of old... doesn't that mean it is my task to spread the truth?" The grand-master said, "Yes indeed it does."
     Then the senior student did something the junior student didn't do... the senior student thought for a moment... and asked, "Master, may I ask, I've always seen the saints holding the sacred book and sword... what do these things really mean?" The grand-master was very pleased, "Aha! It means God has given us all very many gifts but it takes a lot of focus to remember what has been given to us. It takes focus... as sharp as a SWORD!" The student was amazed to hear the meaning of the Sword, "So it means we have to focus to remember all the gifts God has given us!!" The Grand-Master continued to teach her, "Indeed! Once you focus and remembers the gifts... it takes heart of a poet to fully appreciate them. The Sacred Book is like flowing poetry."Then the senior student started breathing deeply. She began to meditate... "I am using my sword-like focus to remember every blessing the universe has given us..... My heart is melting and I wish to sing the praises of the Infinite forever, and then sing them even more!" As she was meditating she realized she was using The Sacred Book and Sword, "Right now, I am using sword-focus and my heart is flowing like poetry!" The grand-master was extremely pleased. He burst with love when he said, "Indeed you ARE!"
     Later both the students came down the mountain. In town, the people really wanted to know if the Grand-Master had revealed the truth of the whole universe to them. The junior monk came jogging down the mountain, very excited with wide eyes yelling, "LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN TO ME!" The people asked, "Oh my goodness! Did the Grandmaster bless you?" "Did you look in the Mystical Window? What did you see?" The junior student shouted, "THE GRAND-MASTER PRAISED ME AS A GREAT MAN!" The people were astonished. The junior student continued to convince them, "The Mystical Window revealed that I AM THE GREAT SAINT OF THIS AGE! It is I who has The Sword and the Holy Word." He continued telling them his ideas. What he said sounded very much like truth and many people believed everything he said. In fact he became very famous and he had many followers.
     The second student came down the mountain smiling and humming to herself, "Hmmmmhhhhmhhmm". The few who didn't follow the first student noticed something. The senior student seemed very peaceful... very content. They asked, "Well, what did you see?" The senior student said, "I saw that God has given all of us many gifts." She smiled with kindness. The people wanted to hear more, so she taught them, "There are two things. One is the challenge of remembering our gifts. The other is the heart to never forget them.” Those who heard this felt calm and bright, and they smiled. The senior student continued on her way, the people still wanted to hear more from her, "Where are you going? What will you do?" She smiled with kindness, "Oh, I'll go somewhere and do something, that's not what matters. The real challenge is to remember God's blessings and then to never forget." The people smiled again.
     Those who followed the first student started a new religion. Those who followed the second student, they just fell in love with life. They were full of gratitude and spent their lives happily serving everyone they met. The best way to see life is with an attitude of gratitude.