The story goes like this: In a bustling village, a curious traveler was looking for a place to stay. He saw a sign that said "Zen Master's Inn" and decided to check it out. He entered the inn and was greeted by a friendly old man who introduced himself as the Zen master. The traveler asked him if he could stay for the night and the Zen master agreed.

The traveler was amazed by the Zen master's calm and serene demeanor. He wondered how he could maintain such inner peace amidst the noise and chaos of the village. He asked the Zen master if he could teach him the secret of his tranquility. The Zen master smiled and said, "Of course, I can teach you. But first, let me show you something."

The Zen master led the traveler to a small pond behind the inn. The pond was clear and still, reflecting the blue sky and the green trees. The Zen master said, "Look at this pond. It is like a mirror. It reflects everything that is around it without distortion or judgment. It does not react to anything that happens on its surface. It just observes and accepts."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. It is very beautiful and peaceful."

The Zen master said, "Now, watch this." He picked up a stone and threw it into the pond. The water rippled and splashed, creating waves and bubbles. The reflection of the sky and the trees were distorted and blurred.

The Zen master said, "Look at this pond now. It is no longer like a mirror. It is disturbed by the stone that I threw. It reacts to everything that happens on its surface. It loses its clarity and calmness."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. It is very different and chaotic."

The Zen master said, "This pond is like your mind. When your mind is still and clear, it reflects everything that is around you without distortion or judgment. It does not react to anything that happens in your life. It just observes and accepts."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. That sounds very wise and peaceful."

The Zen master said, "But when your mind is disturbed by thoughts and emotions, it ripples and splashes, creating waves and bubbles. The reflection of your true self is distorted and blurred. You react to everything that happens in your life. You lose your clarity and calmness."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. That sounds very foolish and stressful."

The Zen master said, "The secret of my tranquility is simple: I practice stillness every day. I sit quietly and observe my breath, my body, my sensations, my thoughts, and my emotions. I do not judge or attach to anything that arises in my mind. I just let them come and go like clouds in the sky or waves in the ocean. I do not identify with them or cling to them. I just watch them with awareness and compassion."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. That sounds very simple and powerful."

The Zen master said, "It is simple but not easy. It takes practice and patience to cultivate stillness in your mind. But once you do, you will experience the profound benefits of stillness: inner peace, clarity, wisdom, happiness, love."

The traveler nodded and said, "I see. That sounds very wonderful and desirable."

The traveler thanked the Zen master for his hospitality and his teachings. He decided to practice stillness through meditation as soon as he could.

• He also decided to practice stillness every day.
• He realized that stillness was not something that he had to find outside of himself.
• It was something that he had to discover within himself.
• He realized that stillness was not a state of doing.
• It was a state of being.
• He realized that stillness was not a luxury.
• It was a necessity.
• He realized that stillness was not a weakness.
• It was a strength.
• He realized that stillness was not an escape.
• It was an awakening.
• He realized that stillness was the key to transforming his life.
• And he was ready to turn it.

If you want to learn more about stillness, you can watch this YouTube video by Motivation Mastery. It explains the power of stillness in a more detailed and engaging way than I can do here.