Will You Cut Off Your Arm?

How far are you willing to go to learn from someone?

Will you be willing to go to any extreme?

Will you be willing to cut off your arm?

There is a story, maybe you can learn something from it.

Bodhidharma had gone from India to China. To spread Buddhism.

Now when he was there, he meditated and set up Shaolin temples and is the founder of Kung Fu.

He felt the monks were too weak, and needed to be physically strong. He didn't want weak monks. He wanted them strong.

Even today they follow the tradition set up by him.

So these were all exports from India to China, both great civilizations.

In China, there was a monk called Huike.

Huike had a thirst for learning and had decided he will learn from the best.

And to him, Bodhidharma was the best.

So Huike approached Bodhidharma, asking him, if he could become his disciple.

But Bodhidharma refused. He told Huike, that he wasn't ready yet.

Huike waited in the snow, and yet Bodhidharma refused. He kept refusing him over and over again.

Until, one day Huike cut off his own left arm and presented it to Bodhidharma.

Just to show how serious he was about learning. That's when Bodhidharma accepted him and made him his disciple.

Can you imagine Huike's hunger to learn and grow?

In today's world many people will argue and complain, how can I cut my arm for someone else?

You don't have to. Some might say this is a parable, a myth, a legend, and some might say it is true.

It doesn't matter. If you think it is true, great. If you think it isn't true, still great.

What matters is what can you learn from it?

If you look closer, nobody is telling you to cut you arm.

What you can learn is when you are truly committed to something, you will go all out to learn it. You will let the other person know how committed you are.

Nobody will be able to refuse you, if you show this sort of commitment and dedication.

Shiva ended up giving a boon to Ravana because he showed dedication and commitment. He was fully focused.

In life only if you are fully focused and dedicated you will achieve what you want.

If you want to learn a new skill, start and expand your business, get a job, learn, become fit, grow spiritually, you need to put in the work and focus.

Stop wasting your time looking and reading things that don't add value.

Stop meeting people who don't add value.

Stop everything that takes away your focus and energy.

And focus on the few things that matter.

Huike wanted to learn from Bodhidharma.

And he did. Today Huike is considered as the second patriarch after Bodhidharma of Chan Buddhism.

Had he not been committed, you wouldn't be reading about him.

Every leader needs to first instill this quality in themselves, and then in their people.