It happened once upon a time that there was a certain master who lived in a hut somewhere far off in the mountains, and he had acquired a reputation as an archer of supreme skill.  No doubt he had other qualities as well, but as spiritual accomplishments are more difficult to talk about, what was known of him was simply the master’s ability to hit whatever he aimed at.

Then, one day, a young man, who had practiced for many months raining arrows on every imaginable target, appeared in front of the master’s hut.  The young man was proud of the skill he had developed, and he hoped to at least win recognition for his ability, if not to best the master in a competition.

When the master came out from his hut, the young man, without saying anything, turned and shot an arrow at a distant tree, where it struck in the middle of a knot on the trunk.  Then he shot again, and his second arrow split the first.

The master studied the young man for a minute, and then entered his hut.  He reappeared with his own bow and quiver, and with a wordless gesture, beckoned the young man to follow him up a steep path into the forest.

For a long time they climbed, until they came to the brink of a deep chasm, at the bottom of which thundered a roaring torrent that shook the rocks around them.  A single twisting tree-trunk stretched across the gap.  Without hesitation, the master stepped up on the trunk, strode to the middle of the chasm, and in a single motion let fly an arrow at a tree on the far side.  His arrow also stuck in a knot on the trunk.

Returning to solid ground, he gestured to the young man, and said, “Now split that.”

The young man stepped up on to the log, but it was slippery with wet moss, and quivered and shifted under his weight.  Looking down, he saw far below him sharp rocks and foaming water.  Hesitantly he edged his way out into the middle, and, filled with apprehension, managed to shoot an arrow at the distant tree, but missed his mark entirely.

When he regained the safety of the solid earth, the young man stood before the master, his head bowed in shame.

“You have technique,” the master said.  “You have practiced hard and you have defeated incompetence.  That is good.  But if you wish to go further, you must defeat technique.  Technique is not enough.  The spirit is not mastered by correct technique.”