An Attitude of Gratitude
	Once there were two students. One day they were both told that they had received the great honor of seeing the Grand-Master. They were both very excited and humbled by this honor. The Junior student said,
Student1: "Everyone knows that if you are lucky enough to see the Grand-Master, he may show you the Mystical Window. This is great! I must have some done some really good things in a past life to earn this honor!"
	The senior student said,
Student2: "I have heard that anyone who looks into the Mystical Window, sees the inner truth of the universe. I do not know what awaits me, but I feel so grateful."
	The two students hiked to a remote mountain top where the Grand-Master lived. It seemed as if they were up above the whole world.
Student1: "Look at that city way down there. The people look like little ants."
Student2: "It is truly beautiful here. My mind feels so peaceful and still here.It is so blissful to meditate on a mountain top!"
	They came to a small, but very beautiful temple at the top of the mountain. A servant of the Grand-Master was there waiting for them.
Servant: "(gently) One of you may now go in the Window Chamber to see the Master now."
Student1: "Wahooo! I always hoped I'd be one of the rare ones to see Grand-Master ji!"
	The junior student volunteered to go first and he slowly entered the chamber. The Grand-Master looked very calm.... and silent.... His eyes showed kindness. After a bit he pointed to a window and said,
Grandmaster: "Look in the Mystical Window and see the Truth."
	The junior student looked, and after a while he told the Grand-Master,
Student1: "I saw myself holding two objects. In one hand was the sacred book and in the other hand was the sacred sword. It was amazing, Master, I looked just like the paintings of the saints of old!"
	The grandmaster said,
Grandmaster: "Yes indeed"
	Then the student said,
Student1: "If that's the truth, that I hold the sacred book and the sacred sword.... then I must be a very great person!"
	The Grand-master said,
Grandmaster: "Indeed, you are very special to God."
	The student continued,
Student1: "If I am a great man it must be my task to spread all the truth I know to all those unfortunate people who don't know what I know"
	The grand-master said,
Grandmaster: "Indeed you shall."
	The junior student left the chamber very excited, saying,
Student1: "I knew it! I was always treated like a junior student, as if I don't know anything, but I knew that the elders don't know any more than I do. I knew they were just talking gibberish. I am a great man, so I must have the power to change the whole world. I must start right away, it's very important that everyone listens to everything I have to say!!!"
	After he left to teach everyone, the Grand-master sighed and said to himself,
Grandmaster: "Indeed you shall."
	The senior student was now called.
Servant: "You may see the master now."
Student2: "Thank you, it is quite humbling."
Grandmaster: "Look in the Mystical Window and see the truth."
	Calmly, she looked in the window. After a while she shared her vision,
Student2: "Master, I saw myself holding the sacred sword in one hand and the sacred book in another hand."
Grandmaster: "Yes?..."
	The student continued,
Student2: "It looked like the saints of old, except it was me... I looked just like one of the saints of old."
Grandmaster: "Indeed"
Student2: "Master, if the truth is I am like the saints of old, than does that mean I am a great woman?"
	The grand-master assured her,
Grandmaster: "Indeed you are, you are very special to God."
	Then the student asked,
Student2: "If I am a great woman, if I am special to God, if I am like the saints of old... doesn't that mean it is my task to spread the truth?"
	The grand-master said,
Grandmaster: "Yes indeed it does."
	Then...... the senior student thought for a moment....... and asked,
Student2: "Master, may I ask, I've always seen the saints holding the sacred book and sword... what do these things really mean?"
	The grand-master was very pleased,
Grandmaster: "Aha! It means God has given us all very many gifts but it takes a lot of focus to remember what has been given to us. It takes focus... as sharp as a SWORD!"
Student2: "Oh! So the sword is our focus to remember all the gifts God has given us?"
Grandmaster: "Hah! Indeed! Once you focus and remembers the gifts... it takes heart of a poet to fully appreciate them. The book is like flowing poetry."
	The senior student began to meditate....
Student2: "(deep breath) I am using my sword-like focus to remember every blessing the universe has given us..... My heart is melting and I wish to sing the praises of the Infinite forever, and then sing them even more!... Right now, I am holding the sacred sword and holding the sacred book!"
	The grand-master was extremely pleased. He burst with love when he said,
Grandmaster: "Indeed you ARE!"
	Later both the students came down the mountain. In town, the people knew something special had happened because these students had just talked to the Grand-master and everyone knows that the Grand-Master may have revealed the truth of the whole universe to them. The junior monk came down quickly, very excited with wide eyes. He was jogging down the hill yelling,
Student1: "Listen to me, listen to me!"
	The people asked,
People: "Oh my goodness, did the Grandmaster talk to you, did he bless you?" "Did you look in the Mystical Window? What did you see?"
	The junior student shouted,
Student1: "The grand-master praised me as a great man. The Mystical Window revealed to me that I am the great saint of this age! It is I who has the great sword of Truth and the Holy Word. I command the universe to grant me the power to show these unfortunate ones...." (fade) 
	...and he continued telling them his ideas, how things are, how we must change everything. What he said sounded very much like truth and many people believed everything he said. In fact he became very famous and he had many followers.
The second student came down the mountain humming to herself (Student2: "hmmmmhhhhmhhmm")and smiling. Not many people noticed her because many left to follow the first student who had come down first. The few who saw her, noticed that she seemed very peaceful... very content. They asked,
Other People: "Well, what did you see?"
	The senior student said,
Student2: "I saw that God has given all of us many gifts."
	She smiled with kindness. The people wanted to hear more and she said,
Student2: "There are two things. One is the challenge of remembering our gifts. The other is the heart to never forget them.”
	Those who where there felt calm and bright, and they smiled. The senior student continued on her way and the few people asked,
Other People: "Where are you going? What will you do?"
	She said,
Student2: "Oh, I'll go somewhere and do something, that isn’t what matters. The real challenge is to remember God's blessings and then to never forget."
	The people smiled again.... Those who followed the first student started a new religion.
Those who followed the second student.... they just fell in love with life. They were full of gratitude and spent their lives happily serving everyone they met.