What Stones Are You Picking?

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12th September 2024

In the midst of all the distractions & the noise the world offers, we all want to attain a sense of calm.

During my own search for calm, I came across this beautiful Japanese parable which I found very helpful.

A young man named Hiroshi was perplexed and overwhelmed by his never-ending trail of thoughts.

He could never attain the state of calm due to random thoughts constantly erupting out of nowhere.

He got to know about a monk who lived on the outskirts of the town near the river and immediately set off hoping to get a solution.

He explained to the monk, “Sir, how do I empty my mind and attain peace?

It has become a dump yard of thoughts as if my mind is being continuously pelted with an array of stones. I am disconnected from myself. Please help me.”

The monk in response turned his head towards the river and replied while throwing a stone in the calm river, “What did you see just happening?”

Hiroshi replied, “Well, the calm river got some ripples once you threw the stone, but after some time the ripples settled and the calmness of the water resumed.”

The monk smiled, “Our mind is this river and thoughts are the stones. It will become calm after some time but only if you stop throwing more stones in it.”

Hiroshi understood, yet he could not decipher, how to stop these stones, so he mustered up courage and asked, “Sir, how do I stop these stones?”

The monk asked him to follow him for a long walk. Hiroshi was asked to pick up the stones along the way, look at them closely, and describe each stone to the monk. After picking a handful, Hiroshi felt the weight and expressed his desire to put the stones down.

The monk replied, “This is where you need to draw the line, Hiroshi. Instead of picking every stone (thought) coming your way, you need to mindfully choose the stone or the thought that you would entertain.

Each time you pick a stone, or a thought bothers you, ask yourself- Is this stone (Thought) going to help me to be calmer and happier or not and You will have your answer and stay blessed forever.