the sage and the monk

If your future self could send you one sentence, what do you hope it would say?

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.” — Bhagavad Gita 2.47

The sage sat quietly beneath the old tree, listening to the cute little monk speak about the future.

“I finally understand something,” said the monk.

“Whatever people say about the future is only a prediction. Nobody truly knows what tomorrow will bring. So why should I hand my peace over to astrology, fortune-telling, or someone else’s interpretation of my destiny?”

The sage smiled.“The future has a strange way of becoming another story people tell you,” he said. “If you spend your whole life waiting for someone to tell you what will happen, you may forget to notice what is happening right now.”

The cute monk looked around.

For years, he had listened to predictions, opinions, warnings and promises. Some sounded convincing. Others frightened him. Some gave him hope, while others made him doubt himself.But none of them could actually live his life for him.“So what should I listen to?” he asked.

“Listen carefully,” said the sage.

“Listen to your surroundings. Listen to your own mind. Notice your actions. Notice what happens when you become more conscious. That is where your real work begins.”

The monk remembered his Isha practices.Every kriya, every sadhana, every moment of conscious practice was something he could actually do. He did not need everyone around him to understand it. He did not need anyone else to approve of his path.

“If nobody else practices,” the monk said, “I can still practice.”

“Exactly,” replied the sage.

“Your transformation cannot be outsourced.”

The monk laughed softly.

“So my future self isn’t going to send me a prediction?”

The sage shook his head.

“Perhaps your future self will send you something much simpler.”The monk waited.

The sage finally said:“Open your eyes. Stop surrendering your present to predictions about the future. Work on yourself, moment by moment, and let your actions reveal who you are becoming.”

The cute monk became silent.

For the first time, he understood that discovering the mind was not about finding someone who could predict his destiny. It was about observing the mind closely enough to stop being controlled by every thought, opinion and prediction that entered it.

He did not need to chase every voice.He could simply practice.

He could become more conscious.He could remove distractions that disturbed his peace.

And he could walk his own path without needing everyone else to walk beside him.

The sage looked at him and smiled.“Now you are listening.”

The monk closed his eyes.The future remained unknown.And somehow, that was perfectly alright.

“Abandoning all varieties of dharma, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.” — Bhagavad Gita 18.66