THE LITTLE MONK
The Book

Dear readers, even the best mountain climb must come to an end someday; this little adventure was no different. Both monk and sorceress finally reached the summit of this particular mountain. Ahead of them was the ocean, deep and sparkling blue and green. A most breathtaking sight, even for a sorceress who was used to many things. She looked out at the sea and softly hummed to herself. "Little monk," she slowly spoke, "it seems to me that there is no connection between getting ready to do something and actually doing it. I sincerely feel that getting ready to do anything is seldom necessary, because one is already ready!"
The little monk was confused by this statement, yet he sensed that a deep truth was being transmitted. He listened and leaned closer to the sorceress. She continued: "Indeed, when our heart and mind are in constant balance, less and less action is necessary. Solutions come naturally. This superior balance leads to deep calm and one develops a keen sense of alertness ...."
"This sounds like wise advice," uttered the little monk, "but please tell me, what are we going to do up here on this peak? It is cold and there is no food. I am hungry and very tired." "That's easy to answer!" shouted the sorceress. "We are going to jump off this peak into the sea!"
"I cannot!" screamed the little monk hysterically.
"Stop turning this into a personal drama," the sorceress spoke with a sternness the little monk had not heard before in her voice. "LET GO!" encouraged the sorceress. Expanding into the sky and the sea, the sorceress jumped and with one hand grabbed the little monk.

"So this must be heaven," thought the little monk. But it was actually a soft and sandy beach out on an island. He had no idea how he had gotten here. The sorceress was nowhere to be seen. Indeed there was not a single inhabitant anywhere as far as the eye could see. This was not too difficult. This little island was the size of a coconut. It bobbed up and down in a lazy way. What a strange island to be stuck on!
The little monk found some insects to eat. He didn't like eating insects, but there was nothing else to be found and this brave little monk certainly didn't want to starve to death. Dear readers, our story is far from finished. We need our newfound little friend to continue his journey and inspire us a little more.
The only thing to do on the island was to watch the waves come and go. This now was an endless task. The little monk remembered the abbot saying that the ocean waves were like the beat of our hearts and like the breath that came out of our lungs. The secret to the Universe was in his wavelike activity. But the little monk was frustrated. He really had no idea what the abbot was talking about. No! This little monk wanted to know the meaning of life. This was truly a matter of consequence. Life seems to always come in circles and the little monk's was no exception. It was time for a new adventure and a new encounter. But all he had encountered so far was the hot sun and the burning sand of this coconut island. He took his robe off to wash. The sea breeze was getting cooler. He took out his paper and drew a picture.

It looked something like this:

The little monk liked this drawing a lot more than his previous attempts at talking to his heart. The sorceress had given the little monk a special chant to use when in danger, but with the warning that it could be used only once. The little monk decided to keep it safely in the most secret corner of his mind for a real emergency.
As he thought about this, there was a sudden SPLASH! Out of the water popped a dolphin. Its sleek and shiny silver coat glistened with sea water.
"Hello, little monk. How are you?" smiled the dolphin.
"Hello," answered the little monk.
"You seem to be far from home, can I help you?" asked the dolphin with a hint of true sincerity.
"I am lost on this island," said the little monk. "Do you know the meaning of life?" asked the tired traveler to the dolphin.
"That depends ...."
"On what?" asked the little monk.

"On whether you would like me to surf the waves with you on my back."
The little monk had lost most of his fear by now. This happens when one has been on the road for quite some time. The little monk was learning to be open to whatever happened to come his way. This is a true sign of growing up, dear readers. Please pay close attention!
"But of course!" cried the little monk. So on he jumped, right onto the back of this beautiful silver animal.
What an adventure it was to ride on the back of a dolphin! But the biggest adventure was yet to come. As monk and dolphin glided through the waves, a curious thing happened. The little monk had a sudden urge to ask the dolphin a question of great consequence. "Please tell me Dolphin, Sir, how does one get the most out of a wave?"
The dolphin replied: "By feeling it. It's that simple. Let your mindheart sink into it."
"I'm not sure I understand," said the little monk.
"Every wave is born, lives, and ultimately dies. When an old wave dies and you're under it, it could be painful. Learn to listen to the song of the waves. When a wave has grown old and is ready to leave the ocean, it will whisper softly to you and wave its farewell. Never cling to a wave, because it wants to rest and many new waves are born every second. Greet them all
and say hello. This is the wisdom of the waves."
The little monk was moved to tears. How sad and yet how sweet.
Perhaps one day he too would be able to listen to the waves and hear their subtle melody.
Dear readers, this is truly a gift to hear such words of wisdom. Animals are often smarter than humans. But many times we fail to listen to them.
The little monk and his dolphin friend swam across the waves and eventually encountered a lone fisherman. He was chumming the water and looked quite absorbed in his work. He didn't notice the monk or the dolphin until they were right in front of him.
The little monk waved and smiled. He then asked the fisherman: "Dear Fisherman, Sir, can you please tell us how to get to the nearest shore? I am searching for the meaning of life."
The fisherman, who continued to look quite absorbed, slowly looked up and said: "I have been fishing here in this spot for the last eight hundred years and I have never caught a single fish, but if you come with me I will take you to shore.