The empty boat

The elderly monk found it difficult to meditate in the ashram. He was short-tempered and would invariably snap at everyone. Added to it was the fact that the once-tranquil ashram had now started teeming with newer spiritual aspirants. Apart from the din, the elderly monk was overwhelmed with never-ending questions from new seekers. Since he was among the senior-most monks, the onus invariably fell upon him to guide them. There was hardly any time to meditate. These were over and above the responsibilities already entrusted to him.

‘Can you please relieve me of my duties, at least for a few days, so I can go somewhere to meditate?’ He pleaded with the chief monk. ‘Go where?’ the chief monk asked. ‘Anywhere where this frenzy doesn’t drive me mad,’ the elderly monk replied. ‘Okay, if you insist, but I don’t see any frenzy outside,’ the chief monk said. The elderly monk had no idea what the chief meant but was elated at the temporary freedom from the hullabaloo.

The monk headed towards the secluded lake on the other side of the mountain. Finding a few idle boats tied at the bank of the lake, he untied one and rowed it to the middle of the lake. He was elated with the tranquil surroundings. It was a perfect place for meditation.

No sooner did he close his eyes and start meditating that his boat jolted, as if hit by a hard object. In a reflex action, the monk screamed in anger, his loud voice ricocheting and breaking the tranquility. The monk was in for a shock as he turned to confront the culprit. He saw that it was an empty boat that had collided with his boat. In all probability, a gush of wind swept it away from the bay. In a flash, multiple incidents swept past the monk’s mind. It was about those times when anger manifested inside him—a collage of him flying off the handle. That’s when he understood what his master meant when he said there’s no frenzy outside.

The monk is none other than the one we see in the mirror. If we analyse honestly, the triggers to our outbursts aren’t outside. They emanate from our minds. Like other emotions, anger lies deep within, merely using external impetus as an excuse. The next time you get annoyed, remember that the person or the incident you reacted to is merely a boat in the lake. And that boat is empty!

Blurb:

Like other emotions, anger lies within, merely using external impetus as an excuse. The next time you get annoyed, remember that the person or the incident you reacted to is merely a boat in the lake. And that boat is empty!