A wandering young man came upon an ancient sage. He asked the old man to teach him all the wisdom he had accumulated. Wondering about the young man’s commitment to such an education, the sage replied by asking the lad to accompany him to a nearby lake.

Standing chest deep in the water, the wise man then said, “If I am to teach you, you must first learn to trust me by putting yourself completely into my hands.” The youth agreed and soon found his hands tied firmly behind his back. Then the old man grabbed the lad’s head and held it underwater.

Before long, the lad started to struggle, twist, and kick, but he could not pull his head out of the water. The old man kept the young man’s face under the water until he was just a moment from unconsciousness. When the old man finally released the youth’s head, the lad burst out of the water and gasped for air.

“Young man,” the mentor said, “when you desire learning and truth with the same zeal you just had for air and life, then come and I will teach you.”

-Author Unknown