Paulo Coelho:
Ten Short Stories
1. The
disciple approached his master: "For years I have been seeking
illumination," he said. "I feel that I am close to achieving it. I
need to know what the next step is." "How do you support
yourself?" the master asked. "I haven't yet learned how to support
myself; my parents help me out. But that is only a detail." "Your
next step is to look directly at the sun for half a minute," said the
master. And the disciple obeyed. When the half-minute was over, the master
asked
him to
describe the field that surrounded them. "I can't see it. The sun has
affeced my vision," the disciple said. "A man who seeks only the
light, while shirking his responsibilities, will never find illumination. And
one who keep his eyes fixed upon the sun ends up blind," was the
master's
comment.