The old monk¹ often took the young monk to the hill outside the temple to recite（背诵，叙述） the lection（经文） .

One day the young monk said to the old monk,"How slowly the time goes!"

The old monk said,"You can have a try like this---in the morning sit to the west to read; and in the afternoon sit to the east to read."

At the master's advice, the young monk recited the lection against the sun. By and by he neglected²（忽视，疏忽） the passage of time.

The next day he told the old monk ,"Master, you're so masterly（巧妙的，精巧的） that I forget time with a switch of direction and absorb myself in the lection."

The old monk said,"Whatever you do, only you leave time behind you can you focus on it selflessly（无私地，忘我地） ."