Training to Become a Sage
Chapter 1: Training to Become a Sage – The Beginning of Basic Training
The morning was quiet in the mountains.
Birdsong mingled with the wind, and a thin mist drifted by.
The young man, Shindo, exhaled deeply in front of his master’s hermitage.
He had come there to train to become a “sage.”
However, when his master saw him for the first time, he only had one thing to say:
“First, develop a mind and body that can endure.”
He didn’t immediately understand the meaning of those words.
But as the days passed, Shindo began to realize.
–The path of the sage is one in which one must first eliminate one’s “negatives” before delving into knowledge and meditation.
His master said:
“Many people today carry emotional wounds.
This trauma lies deep within the unconscious,
resurfacing when least expected.
No matter how intelligent you are, you will never become wise unless you can see through it and heal it.”
Shindo repeatedly peered into his own heart in the silence of the night.
Anger, fear, shame, attachment—
These thoughts bubbled up from the depths of darkness,
sometimes tormenting him, sometimes bringing him to tears.
“Illuminate your subconscious.
Gaze into your deepest consciousness.
Then accept and let go of the shadows lurking there.”
As part of his training, he also engaged in counseling-like dialogue.
It was like psychological surgery,
and while it was sometimes painful, he felt a light gradually shining through.
His teacher said again. “To heal the mind, the body must also be healed.
The mind and body are one dharma.”
The meals were simple, but harmonious.
Protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals—
The food served was a proper arrangement of the bounty of nature.
“Appropriateness is more important than luxury,” the master said with a smile.
At night, after meditating by the campfire,
he learned to sleep quietly.
“Relax and get sufficient rest with a short sleep.”
This was his new form of training.
One night, his master smiled and said,
“Shindo, if your training is not difficult, it will not continue.
Training without enjoyment will eventually weaken your mind.
Feel the joy of your own transformation.
That is the true joy of training.”
Shindo realized.
Training is not about punishing yourself.
It was a journey to “rediscover” a new self and
restore harmony in life.
Then, the master finally said,
“For 100 practitioners, there are 100 paths.
You will now create your own training program.”
The light of dawn bathed the mountain.
For the first time, a certain “hope” ignited in Shindo’s heart.
It was the beginning of the path of the sage.
Chapter 2: A Mirror Reflecting the Heart — Training in the Subconscious
The next morning, as the mountain mist cleared, the master appeared with a mirror.
It was a tarnished metal mirror about the size of a palm.
“Shindou, look at this mirror.”
The master’s voice was quiet.
“This is your heart.
But it is cloudy.
People see the world through this mirror.
If the mirror is cloudy, the world becomes cloudy as well.
That is why training is about polishing the mirror.”
Shindou stared into the mirror.
His own face was reflected dimly.
Behind it, shadows of the past flickered.
Anger, jealousy, regret—memories he thought he had forgotten
spread like ripples.
The master continued.
“The subconscious is the darkness that lurks behind the mirror.
Things you do not want to see lurk there.
But do not run away.
The light that illuminates the darkness is the beginning of true wisdom.”
That night, Shindou began meditating deep in the hermitage.
He closed his eyes and darkness spread all around.
And there emerged…
Memories from his childhood.
He was scolded, he cried, and the “fear” engraved in his heart.
“Why are you so scared?”
A voice echoed from within his heart.
It sounded similar to his mentor’s, but somehow different.
Shindou asked.
“Who are you?”
“I am your shadow.”
Another version of himself appeared from the darkness.
A face filled with rage, a twisted smile.
It was the embodiment of the emotions he had been suppressing.
Shindou held his breath.
But he didn’t run away.
He sat quietly, gazing at the shadow.
Soon, the shadow lost its shape and vanished like mist.
A gentle light lit up deep in his chest.
The next morning, his mentor said.
“Well done.
Don’t deny what you see in the mirror of your heart,
simply gaze upon it.
That is the first step in contemplation.
Your heart is now beginning to clear a little.”
Shindou bowed deeply.
A faint light was indeed shining on the surface of the mirror.
It was a “proof of clarity” born in his heart.
Chapter 3: Embracing the Light – The Path to Mind-Body Unity
Spring had arrived in the mountains.
Meltwater filled the streams, and young grass sprouted in the fields.
Shindo’s training was also quietly progressing to the next stage.
“Though mind and body appear to be two, they are one.”
The master said this, clasping his hands in front of the campfire.
“Training that revolves solely around contemplation is like a bird with only one wing.
You cannot fly without forgetting your other wing – your body.”
The master instructed Shindo to practice his breathing.
He took in the cool morning air and exhaled slowly.
Each breath felt as if light was being carried to every corner of his body.
A quiet warmth filled the soles of his feet, his palms, and even deep within his spine.
“That is ‘light,'” the master said.
“It is not outside.
It is a light that is born, flows, and fills within you.
Those who embrace this light will become wise.”
Shindou felt a faint glow in the center of his heart.
It was deep in his chest – an invisible point between his heart and soul.
With each breath, the light spread, enveloping his entire body.
Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes.
He didn’t know why.
He just felt the world was beautiful.
The birdsong, the smell of the wind, everything seemed to resonate with his own breathing.
“That is the beginning of ‘compassion.'”
The master said gently.
“When mind and body become one, one feels others as oneself.
Pain and joy are present in the same breath.
That is the ‘union of wisdom and compassion.'”
Shindou nodded quietly.
That night, while meditating, he had a strange dream.
Light enveloped the darkness.
The darkness slowly melted away, not rejecting the light.
And at the moment when light and darkness became one…
The sound of the universe breathing echoed from within him.
When he woke up, it was dawn outside.
A golden band stretched across the eastern sky.
The same light dwelt deep within his heart.
His mentor’s words came back to him.
“Those who embrace the light will become those who illuminate the world.”
Shindou clasped his hands together.
His mind and body were still, as if in prayer.
He was no longer the lost young man he once was.
He was becoming “one who embraces the light.”
