What do you do when you feel anxious about something? Perhaps there is something you want to happen, or something you hope will not happen. Or perhaps you are simply uncertain about the future.
Here is a story about a warrior couple. It carries a simple truth—one that can take a lifetime to practise.
The Warrior Couple
This is a story of two warriors whose names are not known. Let us call them Ajaa and Bija.
As they get to know each other, Ajaa and Bija discover that they have much in common. They also complement each other beautifully. Ajaa teaches Bija the secrets of the forest, while Bija teaches Ajaa the art of the sword.
As they learn from each other, a deep respect begins to blossom between them. Soon, they marry in a joyful celebration.
On the Boat
Their next lesson comes as they sail home on a boat.
A storm suddenly gathers. Dark clouds cover the sky, and strong winds begin tossing their small boat about. Before long, it looks as though the boat might sink.
Ajaa is worried. “We are going to drown!”
But Bija remains calm, almost as if nothing is happening.
“Are you not afraid?” Ajaa asks, puzzled. “We might drown unless some miracle saves us!”
Bija laughs and draws the sword.
Ajaa thinks Bija has lost her mind. This is not a tiger we are facing. What good will a sword do against a storm?
The Reminder
Bija brings the sword close to Ajaa’s neck, her hand steady and firm.
“Are you afraid?” she asks.
Ajaa laughs. “Why should I be afraid? The sword is in your hands, and I know you love me.”
Bija puts the sword away.
“You have found the answer,” she says. “The storm is in God’s hands, and I know He loves us. So why should I be afraid?
“We do not know what will happen. But whatever happens, we can trust that we are held in His love.”
Ajaa smiles. Once again, they have reminded each other of a lesson they have learnt—and of the need to remember it when life puts that lesson to the test.
They settle down and let the storm pass. When they finally reach the shore, they give thanks for another of life’s miracles.
The Ocean People
Ajaa and Bija belong to a tribe we might call the ocean people.
Who are the ocean people? They do not belong to any particular race or place of birth. They are people who identify not merely with the wave, but with the ocean itself.
There are two ways of seeing ourselves.
Each of us is like a wave. We rise, dance for a while, and eventually fall back into the ocean.
If we see ourselves as a wave, we may live in fear whenever our existence seems threatened. We cling to what we know, anxious about what might happen to us.
But if we recognise ourselves as the ocean, something begins to change.
Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it is the ocean.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Echoes Across Traditions
The Guru Granth Sahib offers a similar reminder:
जो होआ होवत सो जानै ॥
प्रभ अपने का हुकमु पछानै ॥
One who recognizes that what happens was meant to happen
And recognizes the command of the Beloved
Bhai Vir Singh echoes this in a reminder for difficult times, in one of his letters to seekers:
Whatever is happening is Hukam (Divine Will),
And the One who writes the Hukam is my Pritam (Beloved).
He goes on to explain that when we learn to look at life this way—trusting that what happens is for our good, and that the One behind it all is our Beloved—our faith becomes steadier. We begin to see more deeply into the nature of existence.
We also begin to recognise the limits of our own understanding. Our minds are finite, while the Divine is Infinite. Rather than trying to fit the Infinite into our finite plans, we learn to loosen our grip on those plans and flow with the Infinite.
That is how we learn to live with joy, moment by moment. As Brother David Steindl-Rast reminds us:
Joy is the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.
Across these traditions, we find a shared invitation: to meet life with trust, to loosen our grip on what we cannot control, and to discover a deeper steadiness within ourselves.
Reflection
What helps you remain steady when you face fear or uncertainty?
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