It happened once upon a time that a certain monk was travelling through a forest with a student. The student was taking the opportunity to ask his teacher many questions about life, truth and the methods of their path. The monk answered all these patiently, but each answer only seemed to make more questions, so that the flow never stopped.

It was a very warm day, and as they walked it grew even warmer, and they were becoming thirsty. Then through the trees they saw a small pool, and the monk said to the student, “Please fetch us some water from there.”

The student at once hurried toward the pool, but before he got there, a farmer appeared, driving a large buffalo. The buffalo splashed heavily through the pool, and when the student got there, he found the water was now very muddy. “I cannot give this to my teacher to drink,” he thought in dismay, and went running back to where the monk was sitting in the shade of a tree.

“I must look for another pool, master,” the student said. “Please wait.” and he ran off into the forest.

The student hurried through the forest, searching for water first one way and then another, and the more he looked, the more agitated he became. “I must find water for my teacher,” he thought. “It is a spiritual duty!”

But after roaming for a long time, he at last had to return to his teacher disappointed. “Master,” he said, “I have searched diligently but there is no other water nearby. I have failed in my duty.”

The monk looked at the student mildly, and pointing, said again, “Fetch us some water from this pool.”

Obediently, the student returned to the pool, and to his surprise saw that it was now clear. While he had been running through the forest the mud had settled. Filling a gourd with water, he returned and offered it to his teacher.

When they had both satisfied their thirst, the monk said, “Brother, listen well: this water is the clear spirit. The mud is all that does not belong to it. You have many questions, but you must understand that they are only mud. If you let your mind be still, the spirit will become clear, and you will not be troubled any more by questions.”