Weekend Story- The Master’s Lesson

At a Buddhist monastery, a student once approached his Master and said to him, “O Master, please guide me. Every time I sit in meditation, I seek out peace. But unfortunately, negative thoughts keep coming to me, and they disturb the peace of my meditation. Regardless of how I try to push them away, they return even stronger.”

The wise Master tells his student, “I can help you. But first, you must go and see my teacher.”

The Master’s teacher resided in another monastery that required the student to cross a forest and a mountain. The student accepted the journey with love. After three days of arduous travel, he finally reached the Master’s Master’s house. Tired and weary, the student knocked on the teacher’s door, but there was no answer. The student kept awake all night, knocking and calling out to the Master every hour. The Master did not open the door. 

The next day as the first rays of sunlight glistened through the morning mist, the Master’s Master, at last, opened the door. 

The relieved student respectfully introduced himself to the senior Master and said, “O Master. My Master and your student sent me to you to seek your guidance- May I come in?”

To the student’s utter surprise, the senior Master abruptly closed the door in the student’s face. The student repeatedly knocked on the door, pleading for his help.

After a few hours, the Master opened the door and said to the student, “I allow in my house whomever I choose. And you are not welcome here.”

The stunned student, deeply disappointed, had to travel back to his Monastery. The trip was an utter waste.

On his return, the student went to his Master and complained, “Why did you send me on this futile journey? Your teacher did not even let me enter his chambers.”

Smiling, the wise Master asked his student, “What did you learn from this experience?”

The student was miffed and responded, “I learned that there was no value in my spiritual quest. Your teacher was rude and did not guide me in any way.”

Asking the student to sit down, the Master said, “Don’t you realize that my teacher was imparting a valuable lesson to you? Students may come and go, but my teacher exercised the power of his choice. He decided whom he would let into his chambers and whom he would not. It’s the same way with your mind. Negative thoughts may come and go. However, you can exercise the power of your choice not to let them enter through the doors of your mind and disturb you !!”