A senior monk came to a zen master and said:
"In my life, I visited a variety of spiritual teachers and gradually abandoned more and more pleasures to fight my desires.
I have fasted for a long time, for years subjected myself to celibacy and chastised me regularly. I have done everything that was asked of me and I have truly suffered, but I didn't reach enlightenment. I have given up everything, dropped any greed, every joy, every pursuit.
What should I do above all ? "
The Master replied:
"Give up suffering!"
