No Pain, No Gain |

The story of rock carving.

According to an ancient legend there existed a large temple, very solemn and dignified. The only thing it lacked was a Buddha statue for the followers to worship. Finally a famous sculptor was hired to carve a Buddha statue.

The sculptor was so touched by the sincerity of the followers that he went to the mountains and selected the rock himself. His hard search had paid off later; he found a boulder to his satisfaction. He split it into two and started to work on one. During the process the rock started to complain,

“It is too painful, and would you please go easy on me? I have been up the mountain for years under and rain and wind, but never had suffered this much. Your chisel carves so slowly; are you sure that I can become a Buddha statue?”

The sculptor said, “Suffering is only temporary. If you can persevere, at the end of your endurance a new life is waiting for you. Please, trust me and bear with me.”

The rock pondered for quite a while and said, “I’ll listen to you, but just how much longer will it be for you to finish?” The sculptor put the chisel down and replied, “I just started this work, and you need to put up with it for 30 more days. After completion, if the people are not happy with it, I have to continue to improve. If they are happy with my work you will be a Buddha statue.”

The rock was silent. On the one hand it could imagine being a Buddha statue and being worshipped by tens of thousands of people; on the other hand it had to endure the unbearable pain. After two more hours of chisel work it screamed, “Please stop, I cannot take it any more.”

The sculptor put down his chisel and split the rock into four pieces. He then put these slates in the temple hall. He picked up the other half of the boulder and started to carve a statue.

After working for a while the sculptor asked the rock, “Are you feeling any pain?” The rock said,
“I feel as much pain as the other half of the rock. I come from the same block, so the intense pain is the same, but I don’t want to quit so easily.”

The sculptor asked, “Why didn’t you ask me to carve lighter, then?” The rock replied, “If I did that, the statue you carve would not be as delicate and elaborate. It probably needs to be re-worked. It is far better that you do a good job the first time and not waste your and mine time.”

The sculptor really admired the rock’s determination and was just happy to continue his work. After 30 days’ of misery, the rock finally turned into a beautiful statue.

The Buddha statue was tall and magnificent. After it was put on an altar, people continued to come to praise and worship and thus kept the incense in the temple burning day after day. One day the slates made from the other half of the boulder questioned the statue, “What is it that you can sit up there and receive people’s worship, but we have to endure being trampled on by thousands of feet every day?”

The Buddha statue replied smilingly, “The reason is very simple: because it did not take much work to make you into slates. But I have to endue million of chisel stabs to become a Buddha statue. To gain one must first endure the pain.”


By Luke Walker