The Wise Guru’s Advice
There's a story of a wise guru. Each morning, she would wake up and set an intention to be mindful; to serve in any way possible; and, to cultivate love in every thought, word, and deed. Part of her practice was rowing a little boat down a winding river.
One day along her journey, she came around a bend in the river and observed a young monk. The monk was sitting high on a cliff above the river. The scene seemed absolutely blissful.
But, she could see he was having a hard time. His arms constantly swatting at flies; and his head, eyes, and ears darting to the sound of every splash from a fish in the water below. As she continued to drift downstream, she knew the distractions were overwhelming for the monk.
She quietly pulled her boat to the beach below the cliff. The guru changed her path from the river to winding goat trail up the cliffside. She quietly took each step along the path with intention. She practiced the art of walking meditation. Each step landing gently, as though the soles of her feet were kissing the earth; patiently avoiding any insects sharing the trail. Always listening for the echoes her footsteps may have left.
Eventually, the trail led her to the young monk, who was still struggling to focus. Without disturbing his practice, she quietly observed. She listened to his breath with so much focus that she could feel the monk's tension before each movement.
After some time, the monk opened his eyes from his meditation practice. He turned to see the guru sitting quietly by his side, and he said, "Oh, thank you Master for joining me! I am so grateful to share this beautiful space with you."
The guru nodded silently in reply.
After a moment, the young monk humbly bowed his head to the guru.
"Gurudev, thank you for brining your beautiful energy to this place we share.
I'm not sure if you noticed, but I struggled to focus today.
I wonder, could you offer me any advice?"
The guru remained silent with her eyes closed.
The silence was so long, and the guru hadn't even opened her eyes. The monk began to question if she had heard him, or if she was just ignoring his foolish question.
At that moment, the guru opened her eyes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered to him.
Then, she stood up, and began her journey back to her boat.
The young monk sat absolutely still, contemplating the wisdom she had whispered.
Finally, he too stood up and journeyed down the trail to the river bank.
The guru noticed the monk was walking towards her on the boat. Since she left him, she had paddled very far down the river. Yet, somehow the monk was walking closer and closer to her.
To the guru's dismay, the monk continued to walk steadily on top of the water until he caught up to her boat. Finally reaching the boat, she could see the young monk had a puzzled look on his face. So, there they were looking at one another - the monk in confusion, and the guru in genuine awe.
Finally, the monk said to the guru, "I don't think I understood the depths of the wisdom you shared."
The guru replied with a humble smile, "I believe you're on the right path.
Go, and continue your practice."
The monk took her advice, turned around, walked back on the water all the way to the cliff where he began meditating again.
There is such depth to this story, in terms of how we might cultivate expressions of Love. First, Gurudev set her intention. That guided her down the river and allowed her to see the young monk. Then, she witnessed with Loving-Kindness, both from her boat and then by his side. She chose to draw closer, in order to listen and to serve as witness. When the student was ready, he opened his eyes and asked for help. She was ready, informed, and capable.
With a simple demonstration of Empathy in her whisper, she transformed the monk's practice. Then, when she witnessed this transformation, she did not begrudge the monk because he was walking on water while she still labored to paddle her boat. She welcomed him joyfully, and encouraged him to continue practicing. Finally, the both returned to their practice with Equanimity - balancing the effort and the ease.
When we see ourselves in the studio, with our own reflections staring at us in the mirror, look back with these same qualities of Love.
Show yourself the same Loving-Kindness:
- May you be Happy, May you be Healthy, May you be at Peace.
Offer yourself the same Empathy:
- I know you suffer. I suffer too. I am here for you.
Share in the successes of others in the room, with Joy:
- Their energy inspires me, and I can inspire them in return.
Give yourself grace in Equanimity:
- The wobbles will come & go, but only the stiffest trees will break.
We can cultivate these qualities in ourselves. We can see the reflection as the guru; always sitting by our side, always listening, and always able to help us - not judging. The ego is the judge inside our heads. When we Practice with clear Intention, we become the witness and we can hear the counselor. Cultivate these qualities of Love in your Practice with Sol. Be Present.
