A wise man came by (I don't know...a monk or something) and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I am keeping this boulder from moving further toward me. It is pressing against me hard!" said the young man, tired out out of breath, about to pass out from exhaustion.
"How long have you been there?" the wise man asked.
"All day yesterday, and all night!" the young man wheezed, still pressing. "It was moving toward me slowly when I passed by so I leaned against it, and it will not let up!"
"Do you not realize that the boulder is only pressing against you because you are pressing against it?" said the wise man, trying to keep from making light of the young man's ignorance.
"But it's pressing really hard!" the young man insisted.
"Do this," said the wise man, "You will not move the boulder, and it's not going to move any further. It is settled in. Let up on your pressure just a little and see if the boulder responds in kind."
"I will try," the young man said. As he lightened his pressure just a bit, he realized the boulder lightened its pressure against him, as well.
"More" the wise man said, "Let up more."
The young man did, and slowly he realized that the less pressure he put on the boulder, the less resistance he felt from it.
"Ah!" Thank you so much!" the young man said, finally completely letting off his pressure and backing away. "You are a very wise man indeed!"
"Many things in life are that way," the wise man said, "Many things cannot be moved by our pressing against them, and the harder we press, the harder they push back! They are only pressing against us because we press against them. Recognize that some boulders will simply be in our lives, and find a way around, or coexist with them."
