Three Things Mastered

There was a relative of the king, named Im Sung-jong, who was a gifted

man in thought and purpose. He was the first performer of his time on

the harp. King Se-jong said of him, "Im's harp knows but one master,

and follows no other man."

His home was outside the South Gate, and every morning he was seen

kneeling on the sill of his front door beating his hands upwards and

downwards on his knees, and this practice he carried on for three

years. People could not imagine what he meant by it, but thought him

mad. Thus he learned the motions required for the harp.

Also he blew with his mouth and practised with his fingers day and

night without stopping, so that when people called on him he would

see them but would not perceive them. He kept this up for three years

and so learned the motions for the flute.

He was a lightly built man in body, and poor at riding and at

archery. He often sighed over this defect, and said, "Though I am

weak and stupid and not able to shoot a long distance, I shall yet

know how to hit the target and make the bull's-eye. This also must be

acquired by practice." So every morning he took his bow and arrows

and went off into the hills. There he shot all day long, keeping it

up for three years, till he became a renowned archer. Thus you may

perceive the kind of man he was.

Yi Ryuk.