A Parable with a Hint for Life

The Student and the Door

A sage was looking for a worthy successor. He gathered all his students (of which there were many) near the most massive door of a fortress wall and said, “You all know that this ancient door has not been used for a long time. It is not known when it was last opened or closed. Who of you can open it without outside help?”

Some of the students retreated without any attempts. Others nevertheless began to think about the task, discussing the possibilities of opening this massive door with the help of some tools. But without coming up with anything concrete, they came to the conclusion of the first group: it was impossible to complete the sage’s task. And then one student approached the mysterious door. He was young and in his memory there was no case of the door having being used. The student began to examine it: inspecting, feeling, tapping it and touching the hinges and handles. Then he began to press on different parts of the door. And at some point, its heavy doors, albeit with difficulty, parted, and a narrow opening appeared between them. All these years, the door had not been locked, it was simply not used by anyone. It turned out that it was enough to push one of its halves for it to open slightly.

The sage found himself a successor. And he addressed the others like this, “If you want success in life, then, firstly, carefully study what is happening and do not rush to give up; secondly, having made a decision, move on to action; and, thirdly, do not be afraid to make a mistake!”