A SKILLED CRAFTSMAN

In the year 456 atop Wudan mountain, a fierce storm struck. I was awoken by a crack of lightning, which tore a small storage room in half. The high winds screeched as they whistled throughout stone pillars.

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Nobody would dare leave their room for fear of Master Po’s punishment, yet every student was awake.

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The following morning at 5am I left for exercise as usual. The rain had cleared and the devastation was obvious. The temple was damaged badly.

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Master Po was unusually cheerful and came out to greet us as we stood in Crane Position. “Excuse my happy mood,” he began.

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“But I have no concern for the work you will have to do to repair this temple. The rain did damage, however I am very happy for all the water we now have to drink. Students can give me work, but they can not give me water!”

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He was standing on the stairs above us, looking straight ahead into empty sky, as if waiting for a reply of some kind, from someone.

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The temple was many thousands of years old, and none of us were skilled craftsmen.

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So I began to speak. “But master, we don’t know how to put the temple back together?” His face remained exactly the same.

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Yet somehow, It went from happy, to furious. Without a single change in expression. He LOOKED the same. But he was different. I could feel it.

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He slowly descended the stairs while looking straight ahead. Slowly, step by step, until eventually coming to a stop directly in front of me. He remained still for a few seconds before leaning forward and whispering in my ear...

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“Do you know my name?”

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I was slightly confused and very scared. I tried to hide the tremble in my voice. “Yes.” With his mouth still an inch from my ear, he continued. “Do you know that I am a master of the 7 Wudan styles...” his voice escalated. “DO YOU KNOW THAT I KILL AT WILL!!” I began to cry.

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I nodded my head. “Yes,” I replied. He then turned around and climbed the stairs back to his original position.

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He ordered us to fetch tools and begin to repair the damage. 75 years later the temple was as if never damaged. Every item repaired. Every student now a skilled craftsman.

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Such is the way of Wudan.

-TATESHINKAI