The Timing of Teaching

Teaching is an art of timing. In Chinese music history, there was a famous teaching story, about two musicians, Boya and Chenglian.

Boya was the student, and Chenglian was the teacher. Boya was learning an ancient Chinese instrument, Guqin, from Chenglian.

After three years of learning, Boya still couldn’t become a virtuoso of Guqin playing. He was depressed and felt lonely. Although he was very focusing on only doing this one thing, to improve his art of Guqin playing. But something was always lacking.

So the teacher Chenglian said to him, that Chenglian himself also had a teacher, his name was Fang Zichun, and he lived in one of the islands in the East China Sea. And He was capable to enable people to empathy, building connections and putting feelings into the music.

So, Boya went with Chenglian, to Penglai Mountain. And Chenglian asked Boya to stay here, to practice the Guqin. And he said to Boya, that he would go to meet his teacher, and to invite the teacher back here to teach.

Then Chenglian went away with his boat. But after 10 days, he still didn’t back. And Boya was alone with no one else. He could only listen to the massive sounds of the sea waves. He felt the mountains and forests were so lonely. And the folks of birds were all mourning. Boya became very sad, and he signed with a strong feeling, saying:” Oh my teacher，he will enable me how to empathy！”

Then, he played the Guqin; and was singing with the instrument. He composed his own music. When he finished his music, the teacher Chenglian appeared. He was back with the boat. And Boya went out, welcomed his teacher back.

And after this event, Boya mastered the secret of Guqin playing; and became the finest musician of his time.

The story was very inspiring to me. The teacher Chenglian purposedly left Boya alone; and waited Boya to enable himself to be learning how to empathy. It was by being reflecting and building connections of his surroundings. He arranged Boya to stay in this environment for a long period of time; that allowed Boya to be true to his own feelings. And this “self-taught” experience became the cornerstone of Boya’s music.