The Secret of My Success

Tay Eng Guan (Singapore)

From an autograph written for someone leaving for overseas studies

Now there was a certain wise man and he habitually dispensed advice though he did live in the cave in a very inaccessible mountain. And a certain merchant went through much hardship and in spite of his pot belly, clambered up the mountain and asked the wise man, “O great guru, what is the secret of success?” To which, the sage murmured, “Work hard and take the narrow one way path of total dedication.” The merchant happily went on his way and dedicated himself to his business; and the merchant made the Fortune’s billionaire list.

Likewise, a struggling student groped his way through the thickets that flourished on the mountain side, and torn and bleeding, asked of the wise man, “O great guru, what is the secret of success? To which the old man intoned from within the cover of his dhoti, “Concentrate and flee all distractions from the way of knowledge.” The student nodded with understanding and he came down from the mountain and immediately concentrated on his chosen field of study; and the student won the Nobel Prize.

A Christian stumbled upon the cave one day and spending some days with the wise man, was suitably impressed with his knowledge. He asked the wise man, “What is the secret of success?” To which, the wise man smiled magnanimously and offered “Be moderate in religion and live tolerantly among men.” The Christian shook with emotion and felt a sense of enlightenment; and the Christian made no enemies in his life time and did not progress in his faith either.

Now it came about the merchant, the student and the Christian all died and were buried. And in Hades, they lifted their eyes, being in torment, and saw the guru from afar. And they cried out and said, “O great guru, why are we all here? We are in agony in this flame.” But the guru approached and removed his turban, revealing two just visible horns emerging from thick matted hairs, and said, “That is the secret of my success.