Be Like a Stalk of Rice


In some schools of Japanese martial arts, students are taught to be like rice stalks. When a rice stalk does not have any rice on it, it stands up high and straight, pointing up at the sky. The more rice a stalk has on it, the more it bends over, looking as if it were bowing. Similarly, the more knowledge students acquire, the more humble they should be. Usually, when people acquire more knowledge, they become more arrogant. They think being more knowledgeable makes them better than others. By observing a rice stalk, students can learn to do the opposite.

I think Bardonists can also learn from this metaphor. As you advance through the steps of IIH, your knowledge of magic will grow. However, as you grow more and more knowledgeable, you should try to simultaneously become more and more humble. In this way, you will avoid becoming arrogant.

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