Once, a Taoist sage was crossing a river alone in his small boat. As he reached the middle of the river, he saw another boat coming toward him, drifting freely with the current. He thought nothing of it at first, but as the empty boat drew nearer and nearer, he grew irritated, worried it would collide with him. He shouted at the approaching boat, warning it to steer clear.

But as it drifted closer, he noticed that no one was aboard. Suddenly, his anger vanished. With a gentle smile, he realized that the empty boat had no intent, no malice—it was just floating with the current.

In that moment, he understood that much of the anger and frustration in life comes not from others, but from his own expectations and attachments. From that day on, he vowed that if he met someone who disagreed with or upset him, he would treat them like the empty boat—simply floating along their own course, free of intent.