Trying too hard.

[Jonathan123]

We can learn a lot from stories and one in particular has a strong moral. It's a Buddhist story.

Pupil. "Good morning Master"
Master. " And what have you been doing of late?"
Pupil. " I have done it Master, I can walk on water".
Master. "Well done my son, and how long did that take you to learn?".
Pupil. "25 years master".
Mater. " Oh what a pity and a waste of time, when for two pence you could have crossed on the ferry!"

The moral? Don't try too hard to achieve something that is achievable in a different easier way.

 

[Cuchculan]

Love a good Buddhist story. Is another one about letting go of things -

Two monks out walking one day. Monks are not allowed contact with females at all. Had been a very wet day. Along the way they come across a woman standing on the far side of a very large puddle of water. She is unable to cross the puddle. One Monk rolls up the bottom of his robe and wades across the puddle of water. He picks the woman up and carries her to the far side of the puddle. She thanks and walks on. The second monk joins his friend and they cross the puddle of water together. All the way home he keeps having a go at the first monk for having any contact with a woman at all. Saying he should never have carried across the puddle of water. That it was wrong. The first monk looked at him and said ' I only carried across the puddle of water and left her on the other side. You are the one still carrying her inside of your head '.

Moral? Don't hold onto things. It will do you no good at all. Let them go.

 

[Jonathan123]

Yes, I remember that one.
There is another that, to me, is important.

A novice wishes to become a Buddhist monk. He goes to the monastery and knocks on the door. 'Who is there' asks a voice. The boy gives his name and why he is there. 'Go away' says the voice and the door remains shut. This goes on for some time, even weeks. He is given food and water but kept outside. In desperation he knocks for the last time. 'Who is there' says the voice. 'Nobody' says the novice. The doors open and he walks inside. 'Welcome nobody' says the voice.

We do tend to take ourselves far too seriously. We think we are something when we should have humility. It's the ego that has anxiety, not the real you. That can never suffer that way. By 'dropping it', by letting go of all thought about who we are or how good we are, we may see how unimportant it all is in the face of the universe.

 

[Cuchculan]

I recall another one about acceptance of death. Said to have happened to the first female to gain enlightenment. She was walking through a town in Nepal with her small baby in her arms. Suddenly she noticed the bay had died. She began screaming asking people to help her. They all ignored her. Then a passing monk said he would bring the baby back to life if she went to any house in the town that has not experienced death and got one grain of salt from them. Off she went. Door after door. But each house knew of somebody close who had died. Finally it became clear to her that she was been thought a lesson by the monk. That death happens to everybody. It is part of life. Was said that she went with the monk and he thought her more. Until she gained her enlightenment.

 

[Jonathan123]

I contributed to a bereavement website when my wife died. Over the years and, once again, so many are in awful grief over a loss. This is understandable, and my heart goes out to them. But, as you say, death is part of life. Who was it said that only two things are certain in life. Death and taxes! Sometimes it takes a shock to bring us to our senses.