🩸 RED BLOOD JOURNAL TRANSMISSION #1259
PERCEPTION IS REALITY IN THE OCEAN OF POSITIVITY
Introduction
There is an ancient story about two monks, a muddy river, and a woman standing at its edge.
At first glance, it appears to be a simple lesson about rules and compassion.
Upon closer examination, it becomes a lesson about perception, attachment, judgment, and the invisible burdens people carry through life.
Most importantly, it reveals a truth that extends far beyond the story itself:
Perception often becomes reality.
Not because reality changes.
But because the mind experiences the world through the lens of perception.
The River
Two monks were traveling through a forest when they arrived at a swollen river.
Standing at the riverbank was a woman who could not cross safely on her own.
One monk immediately lifted her into his arms, carried her across the river, and gently placed her on the opposite bank.
The woman thanked him and continued on her journey.
The monks continued on theirs.
The event was over.
Or so it appeared.
Two Different Realities
For the older monk, the situation was simple.
A human being needed assistance.
The assistance was provided.
The moment ended.
The journey continued.
For the younger monk, however, the event did not end.
As they walked through the forest, his thoughts remained fixed on what had happened.
The woman remained in his mind.
The rule remained in his mind.
The perceived violation remained in his mind.
The judgment remained in his mind.
Although the woman was gone, he continued carrying her mentally.
The older monk carried her physically for a few moments.
The younger monk carried her psychologically for hours.
The Question
Unable to contain himself any longer, the younger monk finally spoke.
“How could you carry her like that?”
“You know we are forbidden from touching women.”
“It goes against our vows.”
The younger monk believed he was defending principle.
He believed he was defending purity.
He believed he was defending the rules.
From his perspective, his concern was justified.
His perception had become his reality.
The Answer
The older monk listened calmly.
Then he replied:
“I left the woman at the river’s edge two hours ago.”
“Why are you still carrying her?”
In a single sentence, the entire lesson was revealed.
The physical burden had long been removed.
Only the mental burden remained.
The river had already been crossed.
The younger monk’s mind had not.
Reading Between the Lines
The woman was never the true subject of the story.
The river was never the true subject of the story.
Even the monks were not the true subject of the story.
The true subject is perception itself.
Two people witnessed the same event.
Two people experienced entirely different realities.
One saw compassion.
One saw violation.
One saw a person in need.
One saw a broken rule.
One saw the present moment.
One remained trapped in the past moment.
The event itself never changed.
Only perception changed.
The Invisible Weight
Human beings often carry things far longer than necessary.
An insult spoken years ago.
A failed relationship.
A political disagreement.
A religious dispute.
A business loss.
A betrayal.
A fear.
A regret.
A mistake.
A headline.
A prediction.
A memory.
The event may have ended long ago.
Yet the mind continues replaying it.
The burden grows heavier with every mile.
Many people spend years carrying what happened for only a few minutes.
Some spend entire lifetimes doing so.
The Mirror
The power of this story is that it acts as a mirror.
Each person who hears it tends to focus on something different.
Some focus on morality.
Some focus on compassion.
Some focus on discipline.
Some focus on freedom.
Some focus on rules.
Some focus on kindness.
Some focus on the woman.
Some focus on the monks.
The story remains unchanged.
What changes is the observer.
And in doing so, the observer reveals their own perception.
Perception and Reality
The statement “perception is reality” is often misunderstood.
Objective reality exists regardless of what anyone believes.
However, personal experience is filtered through perception.
The mind determines whether an event becomes a lesson or a wound.
A challenge or a disaster.
A burden or an opportunity.
A prison or a path.
The same river can be seen as an obstacle or a crossing.
The same event can become suffering or understanding.
The difference often lies not in the event itself, but in what is carried afterward.
Conclusion
The lesson of the two monks is not that rules are meaningless.
Nor is it that compassion should ignore wisdom.
The lesson is that attachment creates burdens long after events have passed.
The older monk crossed the river.
The younger monk crossed the river.
But only one of them continued carrying the river afterward.
🌊 Ocean of Love
The Ocean of Positivity does not ask anyone to ignore life’s difficulties.
It simply asks a question:
What is still being carried that no longer needs to be carried?
The river continues to flow.
The forest continues to grow.
The woman continues her journey.
The monks continue theirs.
Life moves forward whether the mind moves forward or not.
Peace arrives when the burden is finally placed down.
Not because the past disappears.
But because the traveler no longer chooses to carry it.
The river was crossed long ago.
The question is whether the mind has crossed it too.
And when it finally does, what remains is not judgment, resentment, fear, or regret.
What remains is understanding.
What remains is compassion.
What remains is wisdom.
What remains is love.
A vast and endless Ocean of Love that was waiting beneath the burden all along.
🩸 RedBloodJournal.com
🌊 The Ocean of Positivity
🧘 The Burden of the Mind
Jun 10, 2026
This parable illustrates how personal perception shapes one’s reality more than objective events themselves.
While two monks encounter the same situation at a river, their internal experiences differ because one focuses on compassionate action while the other remains trapped by rigid judgment.
The story highlights that people often transform brief moments into lasting mental burdens by refusing to let go of the past.
Ultimately, the text argues that psychological suffering stems from an attachment to rules and memories rather than the actual events.
By choosing to release these invisible weights, an individual can transition from a state of resentment to one of wisdom and peace.
Moving forward in life requires the mind to leave behind what has already been physically settled.
