The monk and the Serene Island

The uninstructed person, when experiencing pain, laments, grieves, and despairs. It is as if he were struck by two arrows: one physical and the other mental. But the instructed disciple, when experiencing pain, neither laments nor grieves. He receives only one arrow, not two.

Mental development is not a competition with others, but an inner journey that requires perseverance, patience, and honesty with oneself. Some days you’ll feel like you’re making progress; other days, like you’re…