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Salt in the Lake



Once a young man was very unhappy with his life. He felt depressed and terrible all the time. He got to know about a zen master in a nearby town. One day he decided to visit master and ask for a solution.


Young man went to him and said, “I have so many problems in life that I am always sad. Please tell me a solution.. How can i be happy??”


Master listened to him carefully then got up. Young man was confused to see him leaving without saying anything but he waited for him. After a while the master came back with a glass of water and a bowl full of salt.


Master asked that young man to take a handful of salt from that bowl and put it in the glass and then drink that water. Young man was confused but did as instructed by the master.


Master asked, “How does it taste..?”

Young man replied, “It’s terrible.. All I could taste was salt..”


Now master asked that young man to take a handful of salt and come with him. They both went to nearby lake.


Master said, “Now put this salt in the lake.. ”


Young man swirled his handful of salt into the lake. After this, the master asked him to drink water from the lake. Young man took some water and drank.


The master asked, “How does it taste??”

Young man replied, “It tastes good..”


Master questioned again, “Were you able to taste salt in this water??”

Young man replied, “No..”


Master and the young man sat near that lake. Master took his hands and said, “The pain of life is pure salt.. No more, No less. The amount of pain in life remains the same but the amount we taste the “pain” depends on the container we put it into.


So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.”

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