Walking on Water
Peter Koenig, 20th century

Dear friends,

In John 6:16-21, the disciples of Jesus set out to sea, but darkness falls and a great wind rises, whipping the waters into a tumultuous storm. They are alone and afraid, and in their fear, they row even harder. Suddenly, they see Jesus walking towards them on the water, not perturbed by the storm. They are initially terrified, but when Jesus reassures them, saying "It is I; do not be afraid", they willingly receive him into their boat. Immediately, the boat reaches the shore where they were headed.

Like the disciples setting out to sea,on our own journey in life we often encounter storms of afflictive emotions - anger, fear, jealousy, greed - the kleshas that disturb our inner peace and lead to suffering. The boat of our own fragile human existence is tossed about by causes and conditions we may not understand, while ignorance, the root of all suffering, surrounds us like deep darkness.

Jesus walking on water is a beautiful portrayal of a Bodhisattva - a being committed to alleviating the sufferings of others, even amidst the stormiest waters. He embodies fearlessness and compassion, two paramount virtues that all of us should cultivate in our journey to becoming Bodhisattvas ourselves.

In the chaos and fear, the disciples invite Jesus into their boat, just as we can make a conscious decision to invite wisdom and compassion into our lives. When we cultivate bodhichitta - the mind of enlightenment, motivated by great compassion for all sentient beings - we create the conditions for our own liberation from the afflictive emotions that bind us.

As soon as Jesus, the embodiment of wisdom and compassion, is invited into the boat, the disciples immediately reach the shore. The moment we open our hearts to the bodhisattva path of love, compassion, and wisdom, we not only begin a journey toward the shore of peace and bliss, but also toward the ability to extend our hand and help others who are still adrift in the stormy sea of suffering. And we will find that we are not alone on that journey, and never have been.