Box full of problems

 Box full of problems

A monastery perched in quiet solitude welcomed visitors from all walks of life. Some came to meditate in silence, others to listen to spiritual discourses. Many sought comfort for their weary hearts, and a few simply wanted to sit with the monk and share the heavy burdens they carried.

One day, the monk handed his disciple a list of twelve names. “These people wish to share their problems with me,” he said. “Invite them all for a discussion.”

The disciple followed the instruction. He contacted each person, fixed a date, and arranged a simple hall. On the appointed day, the twelve visitors arrived, curious and slightly anxious.

Soon, the monk entered the room, greeted everyone with a warm smile, and began.

“You each wanted to meet me privately to talk about your problems and seek solutions. That is why I have called you here. Now, you may be wondering—why have I assembled you as a group? Won’t that lack privacy? I have a reason for this, and you will understand it as we go along.”

He then asked each of them to write down their problem on a sheet of paper placed on their desks. “Make sure your writing is clear and legible,” he said.

One visitor hesitated. “Our handwriting has changed,” he said. “We don’t write much these days.”

The monk smiled. “Then connect with your childhood. Write in capital letters.”

Everyone followed his advice. Once finished, they folded their papers into four parts. The disciple brought an empty box, and each person dropped their folded note inside. The disciple then carried the box to the monk, who shuffled the papers gently for a while.

Then the monk gestured to the disciple to return the box to the participants. “Now,” he said, “each of you, take one paper—any paper that comes to your hand.”

After everyone had picked one, the monk asked, “How many of you have your own paper?”

Only two raised their hands.

The monk then made an unusual request: “One by one, I want each of you to read aloud the problem written on the paper you’re holding—but do not reveal whose problem it is. Then, suggest a solution you believe might help.”

It was an anonymous exercise. One after another, the participants read someone else’s struggles and offered genuine ideas. Some were practical, others compassionate, and a few surprisingly creative.

When everyone had spoken, the monk turned to the group. “Did you gain some ideas that could help with your own problems?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

He then looked at the two people still holding their own problem papers. With their permission, he read their problems aloud to the group. Once again, the rest of the participants offered thoughtful suggestions. Both listeners nodded—genuinely satisfied with the advice.

Then the monk asked those two to also offer solutions for the other problems they had heard earlier. And they did. Willingly. Thoughtfully.

The room had become a circle of quiet sharing and unexpected wisdom.

The monk paused, then spoke softly:

“We are all capable of finding answers for other people’s problems. Yet we often feel trapped by our own. But remember—the same mind that can solve another’s difficulty can also solve yours. Unfortunately, we rarely do that for ourselves.”

He continued, “Learn to share your problems. Not only does it reduce your burden, but it also brings you fresh perspectives. The greatest stress does not come from having problems—it comes from holding onto them alone, without sharing or solving them. That silence has become a root cause of so much mental distress today.”

He looked around the room one last time.

“If you cannot find a solution on your own, it does not mean no one else can. Open up. Speak. Share. Free yourself from the pile of worries you were never meant to carry alone.”

M.L. Narendra Kumar