The Four Jars: A Monk’s Lesson on the Mind

 The Four Jars: A Monk’s Lesson on the Mind

Have you ever felt your mind was full—but not in a good way?

A group of people were waiting for a monk to give a lecture. When the monk arrived, everyone rose to greet him. He stood behind a table with four jars, two mugs, and two buckets. One bucket contained dirty water. The other contained clean water.

With a smile, the monk said, “Today we will do a science lesson—not about chemicals, but about the human mind.”

He paused after each jar, letting the image settle in his listeners' minds.

The First Jar: A Mind Filled with Negatives

The monk pointed to the first jar, which was already filled with dirty water. He took a mug and scooped some dirty water from the dirty bucket.

“What will happen if I pour this dirty water into this dirty jar?” he asked.

A member of the audience said, “It will become dirty too.”

The monk nodded. “Some minds are filled with negative thoughts—regret, worry, guilt, fear, jealousy, and so on. When we keep filling such a mind with more negativity, it becomes full, but not productive. Just as this jar of dirty water cannot be consumed, a mind polluted by negativity cannot be fruitful to itself or to others. In these rapidly changing times, many people keep consuming negative news and fill their minds with thoughts that hold them back.”

Then the monk took a second mug and filled it with clean water from the clean bucket. He poured it into the dirty jar.

“What happens to this clean water now?” he asked.

A member of the audience said, “It becomes dirty too.”

The monk said, “When the mind is already full of negative thoughts, a few positive thoughts alone are not enough to create an optimistic life. Negativity can swallow the positive unless the mind is cleaned first.”

 The Second Jar: A Mind Filled with Positives

The monk pointed to the second jar, which was filled with clean water.

“Some minds are like this jar,” he said. “They are filled with optimism, gratitude, and hope. It is difficult to pollute such a mind with negativity. But do not take it for granted. If positivity declines, even this mind will slowly become polluted by negative thoughts. A positive mind must be nourished and protected.”

The Third Jar: An Empty, Unregulated Mind

The monk pointed to the third jar. It was empty and open.

“An empty mind is not automatically a good mind,” he said. “If it is unregulated, it is like an open jar. Anyone can pour anything into it—fear, gossip, anger, false beliefs, or useless distractions. An empty, unregulated mind may be free of old negativity, but it is also vulnerable. It has no guard at the door.”

The Fourth Jar: An Empty, Regulated Mind

The monk pointed to the fourth jar. It was also empty, but it had a lid resting on top. He closed the lid.

“A mind that is empty and regulated is a better mind,” he said. “But we should be the master of the mind. We alone decide what to fill it with. We decide when to open it, to what, and to what not.”

He looked at the audience and continued, “This is the mind that is open to learning but closed to poison. It is silent when it needs to be silent, and it receives only what is worthy of entering.”

The Four States of Mind

The monk summarized the lesson.

“We have four states of mind,” he said. “First, a mind filled with negatives. Second, a mind filled with positives. Third, an empty and unregulated mind. Fourth, an empty but regulated mind.”

He looked around the room.

“Ask yourself which state of mind you are in,” he said, “and reflect on this lecture according to your need.”

Living the Lesson

The monk then offered a few practical ways to apply the teaching:

• Limit negative news and toxic input.
• Practice gratitude, reflection, and positive company.
• Pause before accepting a thought or belief.
• Protect your mental space the way you would protect a clean jar.
• Empty your mind through silence, forgiveness, and letting go.
• Regulate what you allow in—and what you keep out.

Finally, he gave the audience these questions to carry home:

• Which jar are you today?
• What is filling your mind daily?
• What do you need to empty?
• What do you need to close the lid to?
• What do you need to open your mind to?

The monk finally said, “Be mindful of your mind. That is the place where you are either made or broken.”

 

M.L.Narendra Kumar