The Empty Boat: Finding Peace Within

The other day, I read this story about a monk that really stuck with me.

So, this monk was trying to meditate, but he just couldn’t focus. The rustling leaves, the birds chirping, even the sound of the wind..it all felt like a distraction. Frustrated, he went to his teacher and said, “This place is too noisy. I can’t meditate here. I need to find a quieter spot.”

He decided to go to a lake, thinking that sitting by the water would be more peaceful. But as soon as he settled down, he heard birds flapping their wings and the soft splash of waves against the shore. Annoyed, he thought, “This isn’t working either. I need somewhere truly silent.” So, he took a boat and rowed to the middle of the lake. And finally, there…surrounded by nothing but water…he found the peace he was looking for. Day after day, he meditated undisturbed, feeling like he had finally figured it out.

Then, one day, as he was deep in meditation, he heard a boat approaching. The sound got closer and closer, and he started getting irritated. “Who is coming this way? Can’t they see I’m meditating?” he thought. The boat kept drifting toward him, and his frustration turned into full-blown anger. And then..bam!..it crashed into his boat. Furious, he opened his eyes, ready to scold whoever was in the other boat.

But when he looked, there was no one there. The boat was empty. It had simply come loose and floated toward him on its own. And that’s when it hit him..it was never the outside world disturbing me. It was me. My own mind.

Humbled, he went back to his teacher and said, “I get it now. Peace isn’t about finding a quiet place. It’s about quieting my mind.”

His teacher just smiled and said, “Exactly. Now, your real practice begins.”

I love this story because it’s so true. So often, we blame our stress, frustration, or distractions on the world around us, when really, it’s our own reaction that’s the problem. Something to think about!