https://web.archive.org/web/20020204061718/http://www.flowinghands.com:80/mbs_htm/art_acolyte.htm
There was a famous acolyte travelling around the countryside, going from province to province, seeking knowledge of how to live well and properly. At one point this acolyte came upon an old woman, hunched and shrivelled with age. She was gently and patiently sweeping the pathway near her mountain hut.
The acolyte, who was well known among those of the world below, felt humbled before the old woman, though he couldn’t put his finger on why. He spoke to the woman, “Excuse me kind ma’am, I don’t mean to intrude, but you are so old in years, yet your complexion is like that of a child. How is this so?
“Oh,” the old woman laughed easily, “I suppose that is because I follow The Way.”
The young acolyte became very excited. He had heard of sages who followed the Great Way. They were said to possess profound knowledge of great depth and enlightenment. The acolyte spoke enthusiastically, “Can you teach me the Way. Can I learn the Way?”
The old woman laughed again, with a subtle sparkle in her voice. “Oh, I don’t know about that young friend. You may not be the person for it. Learning the Way requires a certain type of person. I remember another traveller who passed this way who also wanted to learn the Way. This traveller was a great and learned person with much ability for knowledge. He was clever. He had the ability of a sage, but not the way of a sage. Yet, I was determined to teach him, in hopes that he could learn the essence of the Way. In any event, I tried to teach him to put the things of the world aside, and after a time he did. Then I tried to teach him to put Heaven and Earth aside. This was harder, but in time he was able to do so. Then I tried to teach him to put birth and death aside. And after a time he could transcend birth and death. Soon this man of knowledge could see with the clarity of ten thousand suns. Seeing with the clarity of ten thousand suns, he could envision purity. Envisioning purity he could go beyond past and future. Going beyond past and future, he could enter the realm of the calm present. Entering the realm of calm present, he could know the world of the “non-beauty and non-ugly”. Knowing the world of the “non-beauty” and non-ugly” there was nothing that he didn’t accept, nothing that he didn’t penetrate, nothing that he didn’t shatter, nothing that wasn’t seen in completion and wholeness. He reached the realm of tranquillity in stillness, and was ready for the Great Way.
“What happened then?” the young acolyte asked excitedly.
“Oh, he left.” the old woman said nonchalantly.
The young acolyte was taken back a bit, but his enthusiasm didn’t diminish. “Well, what happened to that scholar then?” he asked.
The old woman shrugged, “I never saw him again.” she said.
The acolyte saw that there was no pursuing this further. His mind went to the incredible countenance the old woman exuded. “But how could you learn such great things?” asked the acolyte.
The old woman smiled, “Oh, I learned from the ten thousand things. They learned from the son and daughter of the cosmos. And they learned it from the birthplace of calm nothing.”
The young acolyte was perplexed. He sat down on the tiny mountain pathway to think about what the old woman had said. The old woman watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye while she continued her sweeping.
The young acolyte was lost in thought, when he heard the stunningly clear voice of the old woman cut through the density around him…
“Would you like some tea?”
