Growing up in the Blink of the Eye

1. A king was gifted with a newly born princess.
2. He summoned a physician and order him to prescribe some medicine for the princess to grow up immediately.
3. I want my daughter to grow up as an adult now.
4. I have a good prescription for her. However, I don’t have the medicine on hand. I should look for it. Your majesty must not see her at the time of my searching for the medicine, I’ll present her to your Majesty after she has taken it.
5. Okay!
6. With that agreement with the king, the physician left for a far away place to obtain the medicine and returned after twelve years.
7. Your Majesty! The princess is here.
8. A divine physician indeed! Just one dose of miracle medicine and she grew up immediately.
9. Thus he ordered his attendants to reward the physician with jewels and other valuables.
10. It’s been twelve years. Even without the medicine, she would have grown up anyway.

Explanation:

Buddhist texts present the path that ends in the cessation of suffering as a gradual and cumulative process involving a hierarchical progression of practice, beginning with generosity (dāna), moving on to good conduct (sīla), and ending in meditation (bhāvanā), alternatively we find the sequence: good virtue (sīla), meditative concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). So there is no short cut path – i.e. to become the Buddha instantly.

In Majjhima Nikāya, 103, the Buddha pointed out the practice of thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. [The Buddha:] So this is what you think of me: ‘The Blessed One, sympathetic, seeking our well-being, teaches the dhamma out of sympathy.’ Then you should train yourselves – harmoniously, cordially and without dispute – in the qualities I have pointed out, having known them directly: the four foundation of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors of awakening, the noble eightfold path.