mulberryshoots

lovely textured landscape in Nova Scotia near our cottage. . .

Well, it’s Monday morning and I woke up after a bad night dreaming about the world coming to an end. Yes, there’s a level of stress in our lives this week. And no, there’s nothing we haven’t already done to try to alleviate it and have things go our way. In fact, this oscillating situation has been with us for a long time. . . way too long, but there’s nothing we can do about it except to manage it as best we can.

In any case, an article from the NYTimes popped up after breakfast and an old familiar Zen tale appeared. Here it is:

Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn’t step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there, looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn’t help her across the puddle.

The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn’t thank the older monk; she just shoved him out of the way and departed.

As they continued on their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. “That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you picked her up on your back and carried her! Then, she didn’t even thank you!”

“I set the woman down hours ago,” the older monk replied. “Why are you still carrying her?”

So, that’s today’s lesson so early in the morning! Let something go, if only the way you’re not handling things so well. Mitigate one’s frustration at something you can’t change.

Wow, wouldn’t that be great?