The Story of Two Monks

Two monks lived next door. The so-called next door was the mountain next door; they lived in temples on two adjacent mountains. Between the two mountains there was a stream. Every day the two monks would go down the mountain to the stream to draw water at the same time. As time went on, they became good friends.

Thus, five years passed imperceptibly in daily water drawing. Suddenly one day, the monk from the left mountain did not come down to draw water. The monk from the right mountain thought: "He probably overslept." So he paid no attention.

Who would have known that the next day the monk on the left mountain still did not come down to draw water, and the third day was the same. After a week it was still the same. Until a month had passed, the monk on the right mountain could no longer contain himself and thought: "My friend might be sick. I should go visit him and see if I can help."

So he climbed up the left mountain to visit his old friend.

When he arrived at the temple on the left mountain and saw his old friend, he was taken aback, because his old friend was practicing tai chi in front of the temple, not at all like someone who had gone a month without water. He asked curiously: "You haven't come down the mountain to draw water for a month. Is it possible that you don't need to drink water?" The monk from the left mountain said: "Come, come, I'll show you." So he led the monk from the right mountain to the back courtyard of the temple, pointed to a well and said: "For the past five years, after finishing my daily lessons, I have taken time to dig this well. Even when busy, I dug as much as I could. Now I have finally struck water, so I no longer have to go down the mountain to draw water. I can have more time to practice my favorite tai chi."

wallwind's Reflections

No matter what industry, especially in our IT industry that thrives on youth, especially for programmers who write code, we should remember this principle above.

Many people live with a mindset of working for others, drawing a salary from a company. No matter how high the salary, it is still "drawing water." A person's physical strength is always limited; when they get older, they often lack the strength to carry water.

Many people have unsatisfactory life journeys, or enjoy success in their early years but are frail in old age, simply because they have spent their whole lives drawing water and never learned to dig a well of their own.

Many people know they need to dig a well, but don't know how.

Many people know how to dig a well, but don't know where to dig or what type of well to dig.

Many people know where to dig and what type of well to dig, but they always give up halfway.

Many people, having dug a well, think it is done once and for all, not knowing that the course of the water source can change with time and the environment...

Not realizing one needs a well, not digging a well, not knowing where to dig, not knowing what well to dig, not knowing how to dig... there are always all kinds of excuses or reasons; there must be methods and steps to find a water source, find tools, and dig a well during or after work...

There are also some people who know they should dig a well of their own and work very hard all their lives, but most of them never strike water, because they do not understand that in fact many things are "predestined"...

DoEver's Reflections

As an ordinary software developer, everyday programming work is like drawing water. If you focus only on the daily development work, you will be drawing water all your life, and there will always come a day when you can't carry it. Therefore, you should pursue a well of your own. Perhaps in the end you won't obtain it, but at least you have worked hard, and you will have no regrets in life.

Therefore, outside of work, you should use the skills you are familiar with, in the field you are familiar with, to slowly study and accumulate. This is actually the old saying: "Without accumulating small streams, you cannot form rivers and seas; without accumulating small steps, you cannot reach a thousand miles." Do not use excuses like working overtime today, being tired from work today, a friend coming over, and so on. Of course, as a real-life person, these everyday interpersonal interactions are reasonable and necessary, but we should use every bit of spare time to learn and think, so that while gaining knowledge and skills, we can also elevate our level of thought.

Not just programmers, everyone should pursue a well of their own.