THE other day I read a Zen story that seems worth sharing with your readers, in general, and Imran Khan, in particular.

In the early Meiji era of Japan there was a famed wrestler named O-nami, whose name meant ‘Great Waves’. He was exceedingly strong and was well-versed in the art of wrestling. In private bouts he could defeat even his teacher, but in public he was so shy that his own pupils floored him.

The wrestler felt he ought to see a Zen master for help. Incidentally, a wandering teacher, Hakuju, happened to stop in a small temple close-by. O-nami went across and confided in him about his problem.

“Great Waves is your name”, the mystic advised, “so stay in this temple tonight. Imagine that you are those waves and you are a wrestler who is no longer afraid. Instead, you are those huge waves sweeping away everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Contemplate this and you will turn into the mightiest wrestler in the land”.

The teacher retired and O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. Many thoughts occurred to him. Then he focused more and more on the feeling of waves.

As the night passed, the waves became bigger and bigger. They swept away the flowers from their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated.

Before the advent of dawn, the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow on an immense sea.When morning arrived, the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face.

He patted the wrestler’s shoulder, “Now nothing can bother you”, he declared. “You are those waves and you will sweep everything before you”.

The same day O-nami participated in the wrestling contests and won. After that no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

It should be said that this particular method can’t be applied to every case. However, there appears to be a lesson in it for our great cricketer-turned-political wrestler. Perhaps he should consult his spiritual guide (which he is reputed to have) about a meditation on how to re-launch his own tsunami in the country.

I think Imran has the qualities that would make him the leader Pakistanis badly want, but has somehow been unable to unleash his real power.

KHALID CHAUDHRY Karachi