Finding Inner Peace: A Beautiful Story of Silence and Clarity
A long time ago, a quiet monk lived in a mountain monastery. He was revered near and far for wisdom and counsel. In the valley, there lived a good young man who had been truly worried and had not found peace in his heart. And then one day, this young man approached him, and his face was frustrated and sad.”
The Young Man’s Restlessness
“Never, Master, I have always been a good man. I am feeding the poor, I am clothing the naked and praying every day. But I have no peace of heart. I am always restless. Why is it so?”
The old monk smiled and said to the traveler, “My child, could you please go and bring me some water from that pond down there?
The Murky Water
Still confused but wanting to please the monk, the young man took a small clay pot and moved toward the pool. When he added water, he was surprised to find it murky with mud. He returned to the monk and said, “Hold up the muddy water.”
The old monk observed this and said quietly, “Now, keep this pot here without moving.”
The young man, who was unable to find peace and patience, set the pot down on the ground. They were both quiet and watched the water. The water eventually became clear as the mud and sand settled at the bottom of the pot.
The Monk’s Lesson
The monk gazed at the clear water, saying, “Do you see now? When disturbed, the pot’s white water turned murky and swirled. But when you let it settle, everything settled, and the water cleared.”
The young man looked at the monk, confused. The monk smiled once more and said, “Your mind is like water. Active and “doing” people fill their plates with swirling activities and become more manic and muddy. You have to be quiet to quiet your mind and gather inner peace. Practise silence and focus on reflection, the realising within us. Only then will your heart become as clear as this water, and you will embody inner peace.
The young man remained silent, taking in the monk’s words. He thought he must have been so busy helping others find theirs that he forgot he must, too.” This day, he promised to stay still and pray, to let his mind quiet down from all that roiling restlessness.
The Lesson of the Still Water
This is a story that teaches us that peace arises from within. The water in the pot gets muddy from the earth and materials in it. In life, we are surrounded by constant movement, thoughts, and activities. It’s when you let that information settle, not all at once, but like that metaphor of how the water settles if you keep still, right? We can reach the peace and purity of our hearts through silence, reflection, and prayer.
As Eknath Easwaran says, the fast mind is sick, the slow mind is sound, and the still and silent mind is divine.
References
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- Thought for the Day—Blue Mountain Center of Meditation: This article explores the concept of a fast-paced mind as unhealthy, a slower mind as balanced, and a still mind as divine, reiterating the story’s theme of finding clarity through silence. BMC Medicine
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- The Zen Monk and the Muddy Water: Finding Clarity in Stillness: This video narrates a Zen story where a monk uses the metaphor of muddy water to teach about patience and achieving mental clarity through stillness. YouTube
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- Still Mind, Still Water – Talking Myths: This article recounts a Buddhist tale where the Buddha uses the example of muddy water settling to illustrate how a calm mind leads to clarity, similar to the monk’s lesson in the story. Talking Myths
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- A Buddhist Story about Patience and Mental Peace: This piece tells a story of a disciple seeking the Buddha’s advice on calming the mind, learning that allowing thoughts to settle naturally leads to mental peace, akin to the tranquil pond metaphor. Exploring Your Mind
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- The Muddy Water Story: How to Clear Your Mind and Find Peace: This video explores a story where the Buddha uses the analogy of muddy water to teach about letting go and finding peace, aligning with the themes of inner tranquility and clarity. YouTube
These resources provide further insights into achieving inner peace and mental clarity through stillness and reflection, complementing the lessons from “The Restless Heart and the Tranquil Pond.”
