A Zen master once had a disciple who constantly complained about life. He found a reason to grumble and lament no matter what he encountered.
One morning, the Zen master asked the disciple to fetch some salt. Reluctantly, the disciple brought it. The master then instructed him to pour salt into a glass of water and drink it. The disciple grimaced and spat it out, exclaiming: “It’s unbearably bitter!”
The Zen master smiled and led the disciple to a nearby lake. Handing him the remaining salt, he asked him to scatter it into the lake. After the disciple did so, the master told him to sip the lake water. The disciple tasted it and said: “It’s cool and sweet!” The master asked: “Do you taste any salt?” The disciple replied: “No.”
Sitting by the lake, the Zen master held his disciple’s hand and said: “The pain in life is like this salt. Its amount is constant — it neither increases nor decreases. What changes is the capacity in which you hold it? When you feel pain, expand your heart. Make it as vast as a lake rather than as small as a glass.”
Expanding our capacity for life’s pains
The pain you encounter in life is like salt — it’s inevitable. When you feel overwhelmed by suffering, it often stems from the narrowness of your heart. Pain will lose its bitterness if you expand your capacity, like a lake that remains sweet and clear even when salt is added.
Indeed, pain is finite, but the capacity of your heart can grow infinitely. By adopting a tolerant and generous mindset, you can transform significant challenges into manageable ones and resolve minor irritations. When you embrace magnanimity and acceptance, life’s discomforts no longer feel unbearable.
Tolerance: a virtue and wisdom
Tolerance is the ability to accept and coexist with differing values, opinions, and ways of being. Everyone is unique — some are quick-tempered, calm, lively, or serious. By treating everyone with understanding, you foster harmony.
“Be strict with yourself and lenient with others.” This ancient wisdom encourages you to hold yourself accountable while being forgiving toward others. True tolerance reflects a noble character — a demonstration of broad-mindedness, deep compassion, and profound self-cultivation. It is the hallmark of moral strength, born from a kind, confident, and open heart.
The power of tolerance
Tolerance also signifies wisdom. To achieve greatness, you must learn to forgive. To build a life of significance, you must practice patience. A tolerant person frequently reflects on their shortcomings rather than dwelling on the faults of others. They respect and embrace the strengths and imperfections of those around them, quietly helping them grow and improve.
In practicing tolerance, you also give yourself freedom. Life is full of highs and lows. When you learn to appreciate others and empathize with their struggles, you create peace in your relationships and stability within yourself. Those who live with tolerance help others while simultaneously enriching their own lives.
A larger heart, a larger world
It’s often said: “The size of your heart determines the size of your world.” Strive to be a lake, not a glass of water. With the virtue of tolerance, the love of acceptance, and the wisdom of understanding, you can turn suspicion into trust, conflict into harmony, and animosity into friendship. In doing so, you uplift others and create a vibrant, beautiful life for yourself. May your heart be as vast as a lake, capable of holding the world’s joys and sorrows with grace and serenity.
Translated by Katy Liu
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