The Tale of Kenji and the Two Doors

Once in a serene Japanese village, there lived a young boy named Kenji, who was exceptionally gifted in martial arts. From an early age, Kenji astounded his peers and coaches with his agility, precision, and technique. He was the pride of his dojo, admired and revered by all.

However, as time passed, other boys in the village began to grow taller, stronger, and faster than Kenji. Their physical prowess allowed them to overpower their opponents, and soon, the coaches began to shift their focus to these larger, more robust boys. Kenji found himself feeling overshadowed and overlooked. His spirit, once bright, dimmed as he struggled with feelings of self-doubt.

One evening, in a state of deep despair, Kenji sought the counsel of the village elder, a wise and respected figure known for his profound insights. The elder listened to Kenji's troubles and then told him, "Go into the village, and you will find a door with a painting of a mind on it, next to a door with a painting of an eye. Behind each door lies a path you can take."

Intrigued and desperate for guidance, Kenji ventured into the village the next day. He eventually found a rundown shack with the two doors as described by the elder. Though skeptical, he decided to trust the elder's wisdom and entered the door with the painting of a mind on it.

As the door closed behind him, everything went pitch black. Before him appeared a vision of himself, walking with a slouched posture into his next martial arts training. He heard whispers, "You’re not good anymore. You’re not big enough. They’re better than you." Kenji took a deep breath because hearing those words again brought up lots of pain, but these thoughts slowly turned into silence and space and contemplation because of the darkness and zero distraction. Kenji realized that these whispers were coming from his own mind. Once he paused and took a few moments in silence and quiet, he was able to hear his inner wisdom and the truth. This wisdom and truth were coming from his body, somewhere deep down, and Kenji quickly realized that all of the voices of doubt and questioning in the past and present were coming from his thinking mind. That’s when he heard the elder say, "So, what does this mean?" Realization dawned on Kenji. "I think it’s because they don’t feel challenged anymore, they’re comfortable, which means they’ve become complacent. I guess they feel they’re already good enough and they don’t have to work any harder." An inner voice inside Kenji asked, "Is this an opportunity to turn pain and doubt into something greater, see the gift in the suffering?"

Immediately, the door behind him cracked open, and light poured in. Kenji walked out, feeling empowered and confident. He understood the lesson—the mind plays tricks on me until I realize that the mind is not me. As long as I’m aware of this, I can look deeper for the reality or the truth in any situation.

As he stood outside, the door with the painting of an eye on it opened. Kenji stepped through, and the door shut behind him. This time, he saw a vision of himself a few years older. He stood tall, muscles bulging, his skills sharper and crisper than ever. The once larger, stronger boys were no match for him, having grown complacent in their position. Kenji, on the other hand, had spent every day honing his craft, trusting the process, and believing in his eventual success.

Turning around, Kenji looked at the door one more time. He understood now—the door with the mind symbolized his mental struggles, while the door with the eye represented the vision of his future if he trusted and honored the process.

Profoundly impacted by this experience, Kenji returned to the elder. With hands placed in front of his heart, he bowed deeply, signifying his gratitude and the lesson learned. One of the greatest lessons Kenji obtained was the realization that his wisdom and insight only came when he was silent. The elder wasn’t the one who brought the wisdom and insight; Kenji had all the answers inside of him. This was a profound lesson for Kenji, understanding that as long as he gave himself space, time, and stillness, he had all the answers. The elder merely pointed him in a direction, knowing that if Kenji respected the moment and experience, the insight would come, and indeed it did.

From that day forward, Kenji trained harder than ever, knowing that his perseverance and dedication would lead him to fulfilling his potential and possibility.