Once Buddha was
walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers. This was in
the initial days. While they were travelling, they happened to pass a lake. They
stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, I am thirsty. Do get me
some water from that lake there.
The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at
that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the
water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, How can I give this
muddy water to Buddha to drink! So he came back and told Buddha, The water in
there is very muddy. I dont think it is fit to drink.
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to
the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to
the lake. This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it.
The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he
collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said, See
what you did to make the water clean. You let it be ... and the mud settled
down on its own and you got clear water... Your mind is also like that. When it
is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its
own. You dont have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is
effortless.
What did Buddha emphasize here? He said, It is effortless. Having 'peace of
mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process. When there is peace
inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and in
the environment, such that people around start feeling that peace and grace.