The most precious thing

There was a monk who lived in a small temple in the mountains. He lived alone, in utter poverty. One winter day when it was cold and the rain was falling incessantly, a traveler knocked on the door. He was soaked and shivering with cold. He couldn’t warm himself up. Finally, the monk took the wooden statue of the Buddha and placed it on the embers to make a fire.

He heated some water over the fire. Sitting together in front of the fire, drinking a cup of hot water, the monk apologized: “I’m sorry, I have nothing to give you. But this nothing is the most precious thing I can give you.”

This nothing is the most precious thing in our lives: the mind empty of everything, free from everything.

This clear, transparent mind is the most precious thing in our lives—a mind attached to nothing, relying on nothing.

To offer the world this precious “nothing” is to offer the world a dignified demeanor, honest conduct, and a beautiful face of clemency.

To offer the world the pure mind, the mind of the Buddha.

Taiun JP Faure, March 2026