I've read a lot of books, but forgotten most of them. I wonder, what is the purpose of reading?
I've read a lot of books, but I've forgotten most of them. I wonder, what is the purpose of reading?
This was the question a student once asked his beloved teacher. The teacher did not answer at the time.
However, after a few days, as he and the young pupil were sitting near a river, he said he was thirsty and asked the boy to bring him some water with a dirty old strainer that was on the ground.
The pupil was startled because he knew it was a request without logic. However, he could not contradict his teacher and, having taken the strainer, he began to perform this absurd task.
Every time he dipped the strainer into the river to bring a little water to take to his teacher, he could not even take a step towards him, for there was not a drop left in the strainer.
He tried and tried dozens of times but, no matter how hard he tried to run faster from the shore to his Master, the water kept passing through all the holes in the sieve and was lost on the way.
Exhausted, he sat down next to the teacher and said, "I can't get water with that sieve. Forgive me teacher, it is impossible and I have failed in my task."
"No," replied the old man smiling, "you have not failed. Look at the strainer, now it shines, it is clean, it is as good as new.
The water, seeping through its holes, has cleaned it. When you read books, you are like a sieve and they are like river water.
It does not matter if you cannot keep in your memory all the water they let flow through you, because books, however, with their ideas, emotions, feelings, knowledge, the truth you will find between their pages, will cleanse your mind and spirit and make you a better and renewed person.
This is the purpose of reading.
The future is not somewhere you are going, but one you are creating.
Hi, I’m David, a Vancouver life coach and mindfulness teacher. I work with clients throughout North America.
I help people help themselves by combing two powerful approaches.
Mindfulness makes you feel and think better.
Co-Active Coaching makes you productive and more intentional about what you want.