Somewhere in the deep forest, in the silence of nature, a monk sat in deepest meditation. He had been seeking enlightenment for years, but his mind was still wild and unruly like a river.
On a slightly rainy day, a wandering monk came by, seeking shelter in the monk's cave. The wandering monk sat down next to him and noticed the monk's restlessness, so he asked at the same time: "What are you looking for so intensely in the silence of the forest?" The monk greeted him with a slight nod and said: "I seek enlightenment and follow the Buddha's teachings, ah... but they often seem more distant than close to me." The wandering monk looked at him with a smile and replied: "Let me tell you a story that the Buddha himself once learned," so he told the story.
Once upon a time, there was a man who lost a treasure in the forest one dark night. Day and night he searched for the treasure, digging every inch of it, but he could not find it. Exhausted, he lay down crying. At that moment, an old wise man crossed his path and asked him: "Why are you crying?" The man replied: "Dear sage, I have lost a valuable treasure and despite all my efforts, I cannot find it again." The old sage gave him a smile and said: "But the real treasure you are looking for has always been with you. Look into the clear puddle of your tears in front of you." When the man was able to recognize himself in the puddle, he saw that the treasure was his own nature - pure, shining and untouched by the world.
The wandering monk looked at the monk and said: "Stop looking outside and recognize what is already inside you. Enlightenment is not the goal, but understanding your true Buddha nature." So the wandering monk got up again and walked away, and the clouds parted, so the monk saw this happening with the emphasis of the story. At that moment, the clouds in his heart also dissipated and a clear connection with Buddha nature returned.
