A young man, carrying a heavy bundle, traveled a great distance to seek out Master Wuji. He lamented, "Master, I am so lonely, pained, and desolate. This long journey has exhausted me, and having tasted all the bitterness of life, why can I still not find the sunlight within my heart?"
The Master asked, "What is inside your bundle?" The young man replied, "It is very important to me. It contains the pain of every time I fell, the tears from every injury, and the anxieties of every moment of loneliness... It is what has sustained me on my journey to you."
Thus, Master Wuji led the young man to the riverbank, and they crossed the river by boat. Upon reaching the other side, the Master said, "Now, carry the boat and continue your journey." The young man was astonished, "It is so heavy, can I truly carry it?" "No, child, you cannot," the Master replied. "The boat was useful for crossing the river, but once we are across, we must set it down to continue our journey; otherwise, it becomes a burden. Pain, loneliness, solitude, and disasters are all useful to life—they can elevate the soul—but if we dwell on them endlessly, they become life's heavy burdens. Let them go, child. Life should not be carried with such weight."
The young man set down his bundle and continued his journey. He found his steps became light and joyful, and he moved much faster than before. It turns out, life does not have to be so heavy.