The Mantra-Sayer

The Mantra-Sayer

“I always recite the mantra of Perfect Realization in the morning, because we are told that recitation of this will infallibly give Nirvana. Then I recite the mantra of Sweeping Away Obstacles in the evening, because we are told that recitation of this will remove them all, and as Realization is something already achieved, the mere removal of the obstacles will reveal it.”
“Do you really believe all this?” asked the teacher.
“Yes, I do,” replied the mantra-sayer.
“Well, if you really believe in either, you won’t need the other one,” remarked the teacher. “But you seem to think that each of them could do with a bit of reinforcing.