bucket of water (burdens)
A student and a Zen Master were at a creek, filling a bucket with water. As they began to leave the Zen Master offered to carry the water but the student insisted that he would carry the bucket, stating, “It’s not that heavy!”
The student carried the bucket of water walking behind the Zen Master. After awhile the student said, “This bucket of water is getting heavy.” Shifting the bucket to his other hand.
The Zen Master replied, “It is the same weight now that it was when we got the water from the creek.” The student agreed and continued onward. It wasn’t long till the student said, “My arms grow tiered and I must rest.” He placed the bucket on the ground.
The Zen Master then said, “The bucket of water is like your burdens. It is the exact same weight all the time, but the longer you carry it, the heavier it becomes. You must set your burdens down periodically and rest awhile so you can become refreshed, the same as this bucket of water, understand?” The student acknowledged that he understood as the Zen Master picked up the bucket of water and they continued onward.
The student felt uncomfortable having the Zen Master do labor and said, “I will carry the water, I am rested now.”
The Zen Master said, “I will share the burden with you, besides, if I do not use these old muscles from time to time they will forget what they are for and I will be unable to carry my own burdens.”
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(moral: the burdens we carry become heavier the longer we carry them. As the Zen Master said, put your burdens to the side, from time to time and rest awhile. When ever possible share a burden with another, like cooking or cleaning. I try and split the chores with my wife and we equally share the burden of house work. Four hands are better than two any day.)
by Art~
Great message. We shouldn’t only worry about our own problems, by helping others deal with theirs, it trains us to better deal with our own.
Warrior Poet Wisdom - September 30, 2011 at 8:37 am |
A good philosophy
annedearle - September 30, 2011 at 9:18 am |
What a great post! Thanks much!
zumpoems - September 30, 2011 at 1:08 pm |
[...] remember this story that I wrote on burdens…burdens weigh more, the more you carry them, like a bucket of water~ [...]
carrying the burden « zendictive - October 26, 2011 at 3:48 am |
[...] bucket of water (burdens) (the burdens we carry become heavier the longer we carry them) 4 blind men and an elephant (a story that I feel is important in our world, where so many religions clash) Poetry: writing graciously on angry paper (a favorite of mine because it was challenging as much as I think it describes most writers) [...]
zendictive (zen is addictive~) « choiceposts - October 28, 2011 at 2:15 pm |
We all to often walk with burdens .. Sometimes its not until the Burden is Great and we trip and fall that we understand that it would have been easier to have put it aside or ask for help. But sometimes we Humans are full of stubborness and Pride.. They say also Pride comes before a Fall.. But if some didnt sometimes fall then we wouldnt know how to climb up again.. And that sometimes is the Greatest lesson of all.. For once we have experienced a Dark Pit.. We climb skyward towards the light.
Bright Blessings ~Dreamwalker~
Sue Dreamwalker - November 3, 2011 at 8:32 am |
[...] of forgiveness bucket of water [...]
The Twelve Days of a Zen Christmas « zendictive - December 14, 2011 at 4:19 am |
THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER …..
XXC
Cat Forsley - January 19, 2012 at 3:29 pm |
[...] Bucket of water (burdens) [...]
the burdens we carry « zendictive - May 9, 2012 at 6:16 am |