A student asked his Zen master how long it would
take to reach enlightenment. “Ten years,” the master said. But, the student
persisted, what if he studied very hard? “Then 20 years,” the master
responded. Surprised, the student asked how long it would take if he worked
very, very hard and became the most dedicated student in the Ashram.
“In that case, 30 years,” the master replied. His explanation: “If you have
one eye on how close you are to achieving your goal, that leaves only one eye
for your task.”