THE STRAINER AND THE RIVER
A young student once approached his teacher with a troubled look.
“Master,” he said, “I’ve read so many books… but I’ve forgotten most of them. What’s the point of reading if I can’t remember?”
The teacher did not reply. Instead, he gave the boy a calm, knowing glance and allowed the question to linger in silence.
Days passed. One afternoon, they sat together by a flowing river. The teacher suddenly spoke, “I’m thirsty. Bring me some water… but use that old strainer lying on the ground.”
The student looked puzzled. A strainer? With so many holes? Surely, it was a useless task. Yet, out of respect, he obeyed.
He dipped the strainer into the water and hurried back—but by the time he reached the teacher, it was empty.
He tried again. And again.
He ran faster, tilted it at different angles, even tried covering holes with his fingers. But the water slipped through every time.
At last, exhausted and disheartened, the boy dropped the strainer at the teacher’s feet. “Master, I’ve failed. It’s impossible to carry water in this.”
The teacher smiled gently. “You did not fail. Look closely at the strainer.”
The boy glanced down—and his eyes widened. The once old, dusty, blackened strainer was now shining clean. Though it had carried no water, the river had washed it, over and over, until it gleamed like new.
The teacher then explained,
“This is what happens when you read. You may not retain every story, every word, or every lesson. Just like the water, much of it may slip away. But the very act of reading cleanses your mind. It refreshes your thoughts, nourishes your spirit, and leaves you brighter, lighter, and wiser—often without you even realising it.”
The student’s heart filled with understanding. At last, he knew: the true purpose of reading was not to store knowledge like a vessel… but to let it flow through him, shaping and purifying his soul.
✨ Moral: Books may not fill your memory, but they will always cleanse your mind and enrich your spirit.
