There was a young man in a small village that would pass by the local monastery every day on his way to work. He could not help but notice one monk in particular who was always working in the courtyard of the monastery and who always greeted him with a smile and a bow with a serene smile on his face. Often, he would meet the monk on his way back from the local well carrying water. The young man became curious about the older monk and his air of serenity.
One day, after exchanging the usual courtesies, the young man asked the monk, ‘Have you always been a monk?’ the monk replied, ‘Oh no, I only entered the monastery five years ago.’
‘What did you do before you became a monk?’ the young man inquired. ‘Oh, I chopped wood, carried water, and cooked’, replied the monk. ‘What do you do now?’ the young man asked.
‘Oh, my duties as a monk are to chop wood, carry water, and cook. Now I am extremely happy!’
‘But what is the difference?’ asked the young man.
‘Well, before I became a monk, when I chopped wood, I was always worrying about the water I had to carry. And when I was carrying water, I was always thinking and planning ahead about my cooking. But, now that I am a monk, when I chop wood, I chop wood. When I carry water, I carry water and when I cook, I cook. It is most enjoyable.’
A short story about contentment
This story teaches us that true contentment is not in changing our circumstances, but in changing our mindset and how we approach life. It encourages us to practice mindfulness, to be present in the moment, and to find fulfillment in the ordinary tasks of our daily lives rather than being consumed by worries and distractions.
