8. A Fistful of Salt
Insight: “Hold on, do not let go.” “Do not hold on, let go.” The difference between the two is a minor rearrangement, yet it can become the cause of happiness or sorrow.
A young person felt as if mountains of sorrow had fallen from all sides. Day and night, he tried to escape his sorrow, but failed. His parents and friends also repeatedly criticised him, saying, “You will never amount to anything.” Such words made him feel even more negative.
That young person went to a monk to seek a remedy and opened his heart. The monk put a fistful of salt into a glass of water and told him to drink it. The young person spat it out immediately. The monk then took him to the bank of a lake. He put a fistful of salt into the lake and asked him to drink a handful of water from it. The young person drank the water.
The monk asked, “How did it taste?” The young person said, “Sweet and pleasant.”
The monk explained, “Whatever difficulty comes in life is like a fistful of salt. The happiness or sorrow it causes depends on your perspective. The larger the vessel of understanding, the less the sorrow is felt. Leave the painful thought, ‘Why does this happen only to me?’ Instead, think positively: ‘A difficulty has come, so a way will surely open.’ In reality, there is no such thing as sorrow by itself. Because of ignorance and lack of understanding, small matters become a cause of suffering.”
When an elevated perspective is reached, one can forget the pain of the problem and remain joyful.
Resolve: I will not take problems too heavily upon my mind. I will act with an elevated perspective and understanding.
The salt may be the same; the vessel decides the taste
8. A Fistful of Salt
Insight: “Hold on, do not let go.” “Do not hold on, let go.” The difference between the two is a minor rearrangement, yet it can become the cause of happiness or sorrow.
A young person felt as if mountains of sorrow had fallen from all sides. Day and night, he tried to escape his sorrow, but failed. His parents and friends also repeatedly criticised him, saying, “You will never amount to anything.” Such words made him feel even more negative.
That young person went to a monk to seek a remedy and opened his heart. The monk put a fistful of salt into a glass of water and told him to drink it. The young person spat it out immediately. The monk then took him to the bank of a lake. He put a fistful of salt into the lake and asked him to drink a handful of water from it. The young person drank the water.
The monk asked, “How did it taste?” The young person said, “Sweet and pleasant.”
The monk explained, “Whatever difficulty comes in life is like a fistful of salt. The happiness or sorrow it causes depends on your perspective. The larger the vessel of understanding, the less the sorrow is felt. Leave the painful thought, ‘Why does this happen only to me?’ Instead, think positively: ‘A difficulty has come, so a way will surely open.’ In reality, there is no such thing as sorrow by itself. Because of ignorance and lack of understanding, small matters become a cause of suffering.”
When an elevated perspective is reached, one can forget the pain of the problem and remain joyful.
Resolve: I will not take problems too heavily upon my mind. I will act with an elevated perspective and understanding.
The salt may be the same; the vessel decides the taste
