Once, Buddha was walking from one town
to another town with a few of his followers. This was in the initial days.
While they were travelling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there
and Buddha told one of his disciples,
"I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there."
The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that
right at that moment,
a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water
became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this
muddy water to Buddha to drink!"
So he came back and told Buddha,
"The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to
the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back
to the lake.
This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed
Buddha about the same.
After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.
The disciple reached the lake
to find the lake absolutely clean and clear with pure water in it. The mud
had settled down
and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a
pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,"
See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be.... and the mud
settled down on its own - and you got clear water.
Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a
little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any
effort to calm it down. It will happen. "It is effortless."
Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!
TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU; NOT BECAUSE
THEY ARE NOT NICE, BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE...
