The Empty Boat and the Monk

A monk decided one day to meditate alone on his boat, far away from everyone else.

He rowed to the middle of the lake—and anchored it there. He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

After a few minutes, the monk was deeply immersed in his meditation. Suddenly, he felt another boat bump into his. 

The monk kept his eyes closed, but he felt anger rising within him. He opened his eyes to yell at the other boatman who had interrupted his meditation.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw only an empty boat that had come loose from its anchor and was drifting on the water. 

And then it became clear to the monk: the anger was within him. It only took the nudge of an empty boat to bring the anger to the surface.

From that day forward, he promised himself, “Whenever someone or something provokes me, I will remember—is just an empty boat. The anger is within me. And only I have the power to calm it.”