The Silent Teacher

Once there was a saint who never spoke. He was asked to teach a student. He gave a thumbs up.

When the student came, he soon heard about the teachers silence and started to go back telling the silent teacher that he can learn nothing from him. The teacher gave him a thumbs down. And that was his first lesson.

From that day, for many years, the student learnt much from the teacher, and that first thumbs down was the only thumbs down he got from the teacher.

Teacher knew not only that words are not essential for teaching, and only thumbs up and thumbs down are suffecient, but also that one can teach as effectively with just approval without needing disapporval.

Thoughts that came to my mind when I was driving a car when I noticed the effectiveness of the "ECO" indicator as a teaching aid to drive the car "properly". The indicator turns green when I am driving at right speed and "gas", and is otherwise turned off.