Walking on Water
A young monk went to study meditation with two senior monks, who shared a simple life in the forest.
One day, the two senior monks took the young monk out to practice meditation. They sat on the bank of a large lake. Their hut stood on the opposite side.
All three closed their eyes in meditative concentration.
A few moments had passed when one of the senior brothers stood up and said,
"Oh, I forgot my mat… I'll be right back."
He stepped miraculously onto the water in front of him and walked across the lake to their hut on the other side, returning the same way.
Shortly after he returned, the second senior brother stood up and said,
"Oh, I forgot to soak the rice for lunch… I'll be right back."
He too stepped calmly onto the water and walked across the lake,
returning the same way, only moments later.
The young monk carefully watched his two brothers in amazement.
He decided they must be prompting a test of his own abilities.
"Brothers, is your practice truly so superior to mine?", he queried.
Proudly he declared, "I can match any feat you two can perform!"
He rose and eagerly rushed to the water's edge intending to walk across the lake.
As he stepped, he promptly fell into the deep water.
Undeterred, the young monk climbed out of the lake and tried again,
only to again plunge into the water.
Yet again he climbed out, and again he tried…
each time sinking immediately.
This went on for some time as the other two monks watched.
After some time had passed, the second senior brother turned to the first and said, "Do you think we should tell him where the stones are?"
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