One of the monks in a monastery was well known for his extreme zeal and effort. Day and night he would sit in meditation, and days would pass before he would eat or sleep. As time passed he grew thinner and more and more exhausted. During meditation, he often nearly drifted off to sleep. The master finally advised him to slow down, but the monk refused to listen, and drove himself even harder. Finally the master asked, “Why are you rushing so? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I am after enlightenment,” replied the monk. “There is no time to waste.”
“And how do you know,” asked the master, “that enlightenment is running out in front of you, so that you must chase it? What if enlightenment is coming up from behind, and all you need to do is simply stand still? If that’s true, then you are actually running away from it!”