Once, a young man weighed down by sadness from events in his life decided to seek out a wise master for advice. After the young man finished telling his story, the master asked him to fill his hand with salt and pour it into a glass of water.
The young man did as instructed. The master then told him to take a sip of the water. Knowing what to expect, the young man drank and made a face.
“How does it taste?” asked the master.
“Horrible!” replied the young man.
Next, the master took the young man to a lake and asked him to throw a handful of salt into the water. Again, the young man followed the instructions. The master told him to drink from the lake. The young man obeyed.
“How does it taste?” asked the master.
“Good!” replied the young man.
“Did you taste the salt?”
“No.”
The two sat by the lakeshore, and the master explained: “In our lives, pain is inevitable—everyone experiences it. However, the flavor of pain depends on where we place it. When you suffer, you must increase your awareness of the good things happening in your life. Stop being a glass and become a lake.”
