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A Three Year Lesson

By Joe Pugh

In a small village in China long before there was electricity and automobiles, a youthnamed Yung Jo Pu visited the home of the honorable elder Sage Ray.

Elder Sage Ray, the young man said with a bow, The restaurantyou own is

flourishing, but you and your partner are no longer young. I offer you this bag of

gold if you will allow me to purchase your restaurant and run it from now on.

The elder man looked at the bag and replied, Yung Jo Pu, your gold would be

enough, but I must consult with my partner, who is in the next room.

The elder arose from his couch and went into the back room. Presently he returned.

My partner has agreed to the sale if you can answer one question well. Yung Jo Pu

waited in silence and the elder continued: What is the sound of one hand

clapping?

Too surprised to remember courtesy, Yung Jo Pu blurted out, What kind of

question is that?

To which the elder replied with a smile, The kind of question that must be well

answered before you can buy our restaurant.

Umthe sound of silence? Yung Jo Pu ventured, and silence was the only

response he received.

Completely flustered, Yung Jo Pu bowed and left the home of elder Sage Ray.

Shortly thereafter, he took his gold to a nearby village and purchased a restaurant

from its owner there and began to run it himself. He worked very hard, but his

restaurant did not do so well and in less than a year he was forced to sell therestaurant back to its original owner for much less than he had purchased it. He was

offered the job of waiting on tables there and after working for two more years he

had replenished the money he lost.

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In addition to working for those three years Yung Jo Pu had had enough time to do

much thinking, and soon he was again knocking on the door of Elder Sage Ray, but

this time he was not alone.

After being greeted warmly by his host, Yung Jo Pu spoke, Honorable elder Sage

Ray, three years ago you asked me what is the sound of one hand clapping, and

finally after three years I have come up with a meaningful answer. The sound of one

hand clapping is the sound I made when I last visited you. It is the sound of a fool

who believes he can achieve his goals without the help of a brother. So here is my

younger brother Yung Mi Tu, and here is a bag of gold, and together we wish to

purchase and run your restaurant, for you and your partner are not young.

The elder smiled, That is a very good answer, my partner and I will be happy to sell

the restaurant to you.