A young man named Vikas struggles with an overactive mind, constantly plagued by negative thoughts and worries about the past and future. He seeks the help of a wise monk who uses a stone-filled pitcher as a metaphor to explain the nature of the mind. The monk teaches Vikas that the mind is always empty, yet it can never be filled with thoughts. The only way to calm the mind is to focus on one thought at a time and let go of the rest.
The monk then shares six ways to keep the mind from getting caught in negative thought patterns:
1. Avoid the company of people who make you feel weak or inferior.
2. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who inspire and motivate you.
3. Live in the present moment and focus on things within your control.
4. Eat healthy, nutritious food to maintain a healthy body and mind.
5. Meditate daily to calm the mind and improve focus.
6. Visit new places to gain knowledge, experience new things, and keep the mind excited.
The monk emphasizes the importance of meditation, focus, and concentration in achieving mental clarity and calmness. The story concludes with the hope that the listener has learned something valuable and will apply these teachings to their own life.
1. A young man named Vikas lived in a city.
2. Vikas had a problem with negative thoughts constantly running through his mind.
3. Vikas went to see a monk living in a nearby forest for help with his problem.
4. The monk gave Vikas a pitcher and instructed him to fill it with small stones.
5. Vikas was told to consider the pitcher as his mind and the stones as his thoughts.
6. The monk asked Vikas to put more stones in the pitcher, but since the pitcher was already full, the stones started falling down.
7. The monk explained to Vikas that the mind is always empty, but it does not appear to be empty because of the thousands of thoughts that arise in it.
8. The monk told Vikas that if he wants to empty his mind, he needs to take out the thoughts one by one, just like taking out the stones from the pitcher.
9. Vikas was given a task to make a small idol out of one of the stones from the pitcher.
10. While doing the task, Vikas took out all the stones from the pitcher, but he did not like any of them.
11. The monk explained to Vikas that when we have many options, we often do not choose any of them, and the same thing happens with our thoughts.
12. The monk told Vikas about six ways to keep the mind away from empty circles.
13. The first way is to leave the company of people who make you feel weak, backward, and poor.
14. The second way is to make friends with people from whom you can learn something, who you can respect, and who can help you move forward in life.
15. The third way is to live in the present and focus on things that are under your control.
16. The fourth way is to eat healthy and nutritious food to keep the body and mind healthy.
17. The fifth way is to meditate daily, which can improve sleep and lead to deep sleep.
18. The sixth way is to visit new places, which can give you knowledge and a newness in life.
19. The monk advised Vikas to never let his mind fall into the trap of thoughts and to learn to meditate and focus his attention.
20. The monk told Vikas to do everything in life with full hard work, considering it as the end, and to work only on one thought at a time.