Bear OR NOT

Two men found themselves in a jungle as rain began to pour. After a while, they stumbled upon a cave. Just as they considered entering, a loud roar echoed from inside. It sounded like a bear. However, they needed shelter for the night.

Frightened, one of them said, “I’ll go in first and check if there’s a bear or not.” The second man, despite his hesitation, agreed and waited outside. Moments later, another roar reached his ears.

Now, he faced two choices:

1. Enter the cave and see for himself whether there was a bear.
2. Play it safe and return, as the first option could be a costly mistake if a bear was indeed inside.

The lesson: Sometimes, it’s not worth finding out if there’s a bear or not. Some risks are better left untested.

The Carrying Monk

Two monks were on a journey through a jungle when they encountered a river. As they prepared to cross, a woman approached them, asking for help. Monk 1 was about to refuse when Monk 2 agreed and carried her across the river on his shoulders.

Monk 1 was shocked, as their vows prohibited them from touching a woman. Once across, the woman thanked them and went on her way. While Monk 2 carried on walking as usual, Monk 1 was deeply troubled.

Finally, Monk 1 couldn’t hold back and asked, “How could you carry that woman when you know we’re not supposed to touch her?”

Monk 2 calmly replied, “I put her down long ago. You’re still carrying her.”

The lesson: Most of us do not live in the present. We either carry the weight of the past or worry about the future, neither of which helps. Monk 1’s turmoil persisted because he didn’t voice his concerns sooner. By speaking up, he could have avoided carrying that burden for so long.

The Angry Monk

Once, a monk was meditating peacefully by the river. He was in a deep state of relaxation, focusing on his breath. His boat was tied beside him, and everything was still—until he felt something bump into his boat.

He ignored it, not wanting to disrupt his meditation, but the bumping continued. With each nudge, he grew more irritated. Eventually, his anger peaked, and he opened his eyes, ready to shout at the intruder.

To his surprise, he saw that it was just an empty boat, floating aimlessly with the river’s current, caught up near his.

Suddenly, his anger dissipated. He realized, “Yes, anger is within me. It’s just an empty boat.”

The lesson: Often, we become angry without knowing the full picture. We blame others, but in reality, the anger is within us. It’s like being frustrated by an empty boat—we end up suffering from what’s inside us, not from what’s around us.

Note: These stories are not originally mine. I came across them on Quora and Facebook. Credit goes to the original authors, whoever they may be.