The River and the Rocks (3): Monkey Class

The River and the Rocks (3):
Monkey Class


(A Story About Making Friends With the Monkey Heart)

Long after the great pilgrimage had ended, long after scriptures had been carried to the West, mountains crossed and demons faced, The Monkey King returned to his mountain.

Sun Wukong had become very famous.

The younger monkeys followed him constantly.

They wanted to know:

how to leap clouds,

how to transform,

how to fight,

how to become immortal,

how to become impossible.


Monkey King listened.

Then one morning he climbed onto a high stone and said:

“Today I teach the secret.”

Immediately every monkey became excited.

One brought fruit.

One brought sticks.

One stretched.

One prepared to spar.

One asked:

“Master, will we learn seventy-two transformations?”

Monkey King shook his head.

“No.”

The monkeys gasped.

Another asked:

“Cloud riding?”

Monkey King shook his head.

“No.”

Another:

“The secret breathing?”

Monkey King shook his head again.

“No.”

The monkeys became confused.

One finally shouted:

“Then what is the teaching?”

Monkey King sat down.

Crossed his legs.

Closed his eyes.

And said:

“Sit.”

The monkeys looked at each other.

One monkey immediately started scratching.

Another climbed a branch.

Another started grooming.

Another wandered off.

Another whispered:

“This teaching is stupid.”

Monkey King opened one eye.

“Exactly.”

The monkeys stared.

Monkey King pointed.

“That one.”

He pointed to the restless monkey.

“That is your first student.”

The monkey looked behind himself.

“Me?”

Monkey King laughed.

“No.”

He pointed at the monkey’s own mind.

“That monkey.”

Now all the monkeys became uncomfortable.

One thought deeply for a moment then said:

“My monkey wants fruit.”

Another piped up:

“My monkey wants adventure.”

Another:

“My monkey wants to sleep.”

Another:

“My monkey says sitting is boring.”

Monkey Kimg nodded.

“Yes.”

Then he said something strange:

“That is good.”

The monkeys became confused.

One pointed to his head and asked:

“We should fight this monkey?”

Monkey King shook his head.

“No.”

Another asked:

“We should obey the monkey?”

Monkey King shook his head.

“No.”

The monkeys waited.

Monkey King smiled.

“You make friends.”

Silence.

One monkey raised his hand.

“But Master, my monkey is crazy.”

Monkey King grinned.

“Of course.”

Another:

“My monkey wants impossible things.”

“Yes.”

Another:

“My monkey thinks all day.”

“Yes.”

Another:

“My monkey never sits still.”

Monkey King laughed loudly.

“Then your monkey is very healthy!”

The monkeys became very confused.

Monkey picked up a rock.

He threw it into the shallow part of the river near the bank.

Then he threw another rock into it.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The water became cloudy.

Monkey King asked:

“What happened?”

The monkeys answered:

“The river became disturbed.”

Monkey King nodded.

Then he asked:

“Who disturbed it?”

The monkeys answered:

“The rocks.”

Monkey King smiled.

Then he said:

“No.”

The monkeys blinked.

Monkey King pointed at himself.

“The throwing.”

Then Monkey King sat quietly for a few moments.

No rocks.

Slowly the water cleared.

Monkey King asked:

“What fixed it?”

One monkey answered:

“Your stillness.”

Monkey King shook his head.

Another:

“Meditation?”

Monkey King shook his head.

Another:

“Your power.”

Monkey King laughed.

“No.”

He pointed at the river.

“The river.”

Silence.

Then Monkey King said softly:

“You do not force the river to clear," he laughed, "...trying to force the mud to settle...”

“You just stop throwing the rocks and calling the disturbance your self.”

All the monkeys became quiet.

One small monkey finally raised his hand.

“What if my monkey throws another rock?”

Monkey smiled.

Then he handed the monkey another rock.

And said:

“Good.”

The monkey looked confused.

Monkey nodded.

“Now your monkey has a job.”

The monkey asked:

“What job?”

Monkey pointed to the river.

“Watch.”

And for the first time in his life…

the little monkey watched the rock enter the water.

Circles.

Ripples.

Expansion.

Silence.

No enemy.

No boss.

Just movement.

Monkey King closed his eyes.

High above the mountain.

And just for a moment,

Ten thousand monkeys became the one quiet monkey.

And the one quiet monkey became ten thousand again.

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