Right! That’s it! I’m leaving! #8

Hi everybody, thanks for tuning in to tonight's story. I'm just home from a lovely big walk just around the surroundings here, and I recommend everybody does a walk. Keep your distance, you know that already. Keep your social distance, you know this. So I sat down with the book, it's number 7 tonight, so there's been a week of lockdown, and I had a story in mind, a story I wanted to tell you. And, um, but when I sat down— the book is falling apart— um, it fell open at a particular page on a story that I've never ever read before, and it's brilliant. It's less than 2 pages, and, um, it's appropriate, completely appropriate, as it happens, for the situation we're in at the minute. It's called Right, That's It, I'm Leaving. One of the consequences of anger is that we should keep in mind that it destroys our relationship and separates us from our friends. Why is it that having spent many years with a companion, when they make one mistake that hurts us badly, we get so angry that we end the relationship forever? All the wonderful moments we have shared together The 998 good bricks— see previous story— count as nothing. We only see that one dreadful mistake— the 2 bad bricks— and destroy the whole thing. Doesn't seem fair. If you want to be lonely, then cultivate anger. A young Canadian married couple that I knew were finishing up a work contract in Perth. When planning their return to their hometown of Toronto, they had the ingenious idea of sailing to Canada. They planned to buy a small yacht and, with the help of another young married couple, sail it across the Pacific to Vancouver, where they would sell the yacht, recover their investment, and have the deposit for their next home. Not only did it make sound financial sense, but it was also an adventure of a lifetime for the 2 young couples. When they had arrived safely in Canada, they sent a letter to my monastery describing the wonderful journey. In particular, they related one incident that showed how stupid we can be when we are angry and the reason that anger must be resolved. In the middle of their journey, somewhere in the Pacific, many, many kilometers from the nearest land, Their yacht's engine broke down. The 2 men changed into work gear and went down into the small engine compartment and tried to repair the engine. The 2 women were sitting on the deck enjoying the warm sun and reading magazines. The engine compartment was hot and very cramped. To the men, it seemed as if the engine was being willful and didn't want to be fixed. Big steel nuts would turn into the wrench. Small but vital screws would slip and fall into the most inaccessible greasy recess, and leaks just wouldn't stop leaking. Frustration bred irritation, first with the engine and then with each other. Irritation grew quickly into anger, then anger exploded into the madness of rage. One of the men had had enough. He threw down his wrench and shouted, right, that's it, I'm leaving! Such is the madness of anger that he went to his cabin, cleaned up, changed his clothes, and packed his bags. He then appeared on the deck, still fuming, in his best jacket with his bags in either hand. The 2 women said they nearly fell off the boat from laughing so much. The poor man looked around to see ocean everywhere, as far as the horizon in every direction. There was nowhere to go. The man felt such a fool. He reddened with embarrassment. He turned and went back to his cabin. He then unpacked, got changed, and returned to the engine compartment to give a hand. He had to. There There was nowhere else to go. So I hope you're all okay out there if you're isolating with your family. I hope you can cultivate some peace, some calmness, and if you need help with that, please sign up for my daily meditations this week. And please comment below, let me know what you thought of the story. Thanks a lot, see you tomorrow!