The Chess Game
A young man said to the Abbot of a
monastery, “I’d actually like to be a monk, but I haven’t learned anything in
life. All my father taught me was to play chess, which does not lead to
enlightenment. Apart from that, I learned that all other games are a sin.”
“They may be a sin, but they can also
be a diversion, and who knows, this monastery needs a little of both,” was the reply.
The Abbot asked for a chessboard, sent
for a monk, and told him to play with the young man.
But before the game began, he added,
“Although we need diversion, we cannot allow everyone to play chess the whole
time. So we have the best players here; if our monk loses, he will leave the monastery
and his place will be yours.”
The Abbot was serious.
The young man knew he was playing for
his life, and broke into a cold shiver; the chessboard became the centre of his
world.
The monk began well.
The young man attacked, but then saw
the saintly look on the other man’s face.
At that moment, he began playing badly
on purpose. After all, a monk is far more useful to the world, he felt.
Suddenly, the Abbot threw the chessboard
to the floor.
“You have learned far more than was
taught you,” he said.“You concentrated yourself enough to win and were capable
of fighting for your desire. Then, you had compassion, and were willing to make
a sacrifice in the name of a noble cause. Welcome to the monastery, because you
know how to balance discipline with compassion.”
