Dearest Darling Friends,

 

 

Some stories changes lives. This one did that to me. One suggestion. Take out about 45 seconds of undisturbed time to read this. And read it s l o w……..

 

 

You may want another 30 seconds after that to take some decisions. Happy reading.

 

 

A monk decides to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He takes a boat out to the middle of the lake, moors it there, closes his eyes and begins his meditation.

 

 

After a few minutes of undisturbed silence, he suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes closed, he senses his anger rising. Can’t the other boatman see that someone is meditating? Reckless fellow! Careless fellow! Insensitive fellow!

 

 

He feels the bump again, though this time, it was gentler. After a few minutes…again!

 

 

Unable to control himself anymore, he opens his eyes, ready to scream at the boatman who dared disturb his meditation. He sees it’s an empty boat that had probably got untethered and floated to the middle of the lake.

 

 

At that moment, the monk achieves self-realization. He understands that the anger is within him. It merely needed the bump from an external object to provoke it out of him. From then on, whenever he comes across someone who irritates him or provokes him to anger, he reminds himself, “The other person is merely an empty boat. The anger is within me.”

 

 

Just last evening, with my ‘eyes’ open, I got irritated at someone. Now, I realize, it was not her. It was ME. I too will practice what the monk did. Waiting for a bump from another boat (with excitement). After all, implementation of knowledge is one of the greatest source of joy, isn’t it?

 

 

Would love to be like the monk and not like a ‘monk’ey I have been for so long. Ha ha

 

 

With love, prayers and exceptional wishes,

 

 

naren

 

 

Living. Sometimes as a Monk. Sometimes as a ‘Monk’ey. Ha ha

 

 

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