The Greatest

G — Greatest

S — Student

S: Sir, how did you become the greatest?

G: There was a time when I was not. My skill was locked and hidden from myself.

S: Please tell me more because I feel this way to.

G: My talent was always there, but I could not wear it, I could not reach it, I could not blossom it.

S: Why?

G: I was afraid. I always tended to compete, to win, to get the prize and glory. I did not know back then. I was very skilled when there was no consequence, but as soon as there was, fear arose, and my craft jammed.

S: Why did this happened?

G: My mind made the fear. And when the fear came creeping, the access to my skills were gone.

S: Please tell me more.

G: At that time, I was practicing more than anybody. I was working on the mechanical details of my skills. I had many times heard from coaches the phrase: “The more you work on it, the better it will be”. The skill was exceptionally good, but the access to it was not. The greed of winning, prize and glory led to the fear, and a man in fear will fail.

S: But how did you come past the fear?

G: I learned.

S: Can you tell me what you learned?

G: After many years, I finally arrived. I finally understood what to learn is. This my friend is exceedingly rare!

S: I practice every day, how do I become as good as you?

G: To learn, and “practice” is not the same. Many are “practic-ing”, very few learn. To learn, one must first be ready for it. It is not a question of technique or a specific skill. That is easy.

My ego stood between me and my learning back then. The ego is no more, and then there is no battle, no competition, no consequence, no fear, no possible outcome of failure. It does not matter if I win or lose.

S: How do I become like this? How do I throw away my ego?

G: The ego is not something you or I can choose to throw away when we want to. It is something that arises in you.

S: So how do I proceed?

G: First you must understand what you really want to achieve. Why you enter the arena of yours. To take you and your skill to the highest level possible, you must understand what your true desire is.

S: And what was your desire?

G: It was and is to be free. To be so free from the mind so that nothing can ever hurt you.

S: Freedom?

G: Yes. Freedom. When I became free from lust, greed, fear, anxiety and all the turmoil, my craft unleashed itself. I got the access to my power. It did not matter the outcome, who was standing in my way, what their opinion was.

S: Please teach me this!?

G: Let us begin…