I'll give you a joke my first Buddhist priest told me in 1963 when I was 10.

Everyone tried to find a guru, and take a shortcut to enlightenment, back then. One man heard the wisest guru in the world had spent the last 75 years in a Nepali cave, four fifths of the way up Mt. Everest, contemplating the meaning of life.
He hired some Sherpas and started establishing base camps and hauling supplies forward to each one. Finally, after three weeks, the cave entrance was an easy climb up the slope.
He made the last climb, entered the cave, and there before him was the most grizzled old guru he'd ever seen, sitting in contemplation in the lotus position. The man sat down in front of him and waited. After a while the guru became aware of him.

Guru: "Hello my child, what can I do for you?"

Man: "Oh great guru, what is the secret to life?"

Guru: "Ah, my son. Life is like the lotus plant."

Now the guy is really excited and asks:
Man: "Why is it like the lotus plant, oh great guru?"

Guru: "Ahh, my son. I haven't gotten that far yet. Can you come back in 50 years?"