Story

At a Zen monastery, a young monk named Kento couldn’t sit still. During zazen (seated meditation), he fidgeted, peeked, scratched, yawned.

The master observed him silently for days.

One evening, the master gave him a task: “Sit by the river. Do nothing. Just return when you are ready.”

Kento sat.

Birds chirped. Ants crawled. Leaves swayed. His thoughts screamed: “This is wasting time!”

But he stayed.

Hours passed. His restlessness softened. He began to feel the river’s rhythm syncing with his breath.

When he returned, he bowed and whispered, “The river sat me.”

The master smiled, “Good. Now, let stillness sit you.”

Commentary

Zen values direct experience. Kento’s resistance reflects our own anxiety toward stillness. But as he stops striving, nature becomes his teacher.

Psychological Reflection

Restlessness is often a mask for anxiety and unprocessed emotion. Stillness allows us to meet discomfort without fleeing. Kento’s transformation is from control to surrender.

Closing Reflection

• What stirs when I try to be still?
• Can I allow nature to teach me silence?