CONTECT

This is a Tibetan Buddhist story about a monk meditating by a stream. From time to time, he pauses to rescue insects that are about to drown in the water. Many people advise him to stay focused on his meditation and ignore the insects.

The monk replies:
“You are right, ladies and gentlemen. But someone as old and insignificant as I, who has vowed to follow the compassion of Avalokiteśvara and to practice that vow in this life and all lives to come, how could I sit still and recite the Great Compassion mantra while sentient beings are drowning before my eyes?”

A response both humble and deeply practical.

I want to continue developing this story not from the perspective of the onlookers, nor from the monk observing the struggling insects, but from the perspective of the insect being saved. What is happening within its consciousness? What changes occur at the moment it is rescued? What meaning does such an act carry for such a small and fragile being?