As it was his custom, each morning the master sat in meditation in the rose garden in the park.

One day one of the tough boys joined him. Day after day they sat in silent contemplation. After an hour they arose and went their separate ways.

Eventually, two other of the tough boys came to sit and meditate and contemplate. They sat together each morning silently considering their various distractions.

Finally, the fourth tough boy began coming to the park, first at the edge by the street, then behind the oak tree, and then across the stream that curved by the rose garden.

One morning he approached the group and stood in their midst, his hands on his hips.

“Do I have to learn to meditate before you’ll teach me to fight?” he asked the master.

“We do not fight,” replied the master drawing a long, slow, deep breath.

“When we attacked you on that day you defended yourself and threw us to the ground. Don’t you call that fighting?” he said indignantly.

“There is no fighting,” replied the master in a kind tone. “We do not fight.”

“O.K. O.K. Whatever you call it... when will you teach us?”

“It has begun already,” said the master looking up and into the darting eyes of the standing tough boy.

After a few seconds the tough boy knelt down with the others as if gripped by the master’s glance. Two or three quiet minutes passed.

“We’re just sitting here doing nothing,” said the exasperated boy.

“Your mind is out of control as if it were blown about by a strong wind. You are in danger when your mind leaves your body this way,” said the master.

“Not if I know how to fight to defend myself,” fired back the tough boy.

“If one attacks another,” began the master, “and the one who is attacked fights back, it is like fighting fire with fire. One fire out of control is bad enough, but when raging fire fights raging fire much is in danger. Humanity will burn up fighting fire with fire.”

The tough boy reflected for a moment on what the master had said.

“Fire is very important,” continued the master, “but it must not be blown out-of-control.”

The master paused, breathing slowly and deeply. Then he continued.

“Remain calm and your life will glow like the flame of a candle protected from the wind. When confronted with a fire out-of-control, flow like water, close to the earth in a natural pattern, yielding to resistance. Flow like a stream down a mountain, around the rocks, led by gravity to the sea. This flow surrounds resistance, smoothes jagged edges, and dissolves even the greatest obstacles.”

Envisioning the master’s images the tough boy’s mind was calm for a moment.

“Glow and flow is what we do,” said the master.

billc0307