A monk once asked his teacher how he had learned to remain so calm and at peace.
The teacher smiled.
“Let me tell you a story.
“When I was young, I had a small boat. I loved taking it out onto a quiet lake, far from everyone, where I could be alone with my thoughts. I would sit there for hours, letting the boat drift while I enjoyed the silence.
“One day, I was sitting with my eyes closed, meditating, when suddenly another boat crashed into mine.
“I immediately became angry.
“Who was careless enough to interrupt my peace like that?
“I opened my eyes, ready to yell at whoever had hit me.
“But the other boat was empty.
“There was no one to blame. No one to argue with. No one to receive my anger.
“So what could I do?
“I closed my eyes again and returned to the quiet inside myself.
“That empty boat became one of my greatest teachers.”
The monk listened carefully.
The teacher continued:
“Since that day, whenever someone insults me, annoys me, or tries to provoke me, I remind myself:
‘This boat may be empty too.’
“Sometimes people hurt us because they are carrying pain, fear, stress, anger, or wounds we know nothing about. Their behavior may collide with our lives, but that does not mean we have to let it take control of our peace.
“We cannot always choose what bumps into us.
“But we can choose what we do next.”