30/01/2026
I love the parable of the raft. 💚
To the woman judging herself for a past mistake, here is Buddha’s gentle cure 🌧️🌧️
You wake up suddenly. The house is quiet. It is 3:00 AM.
But your mind is not quiet. It is loud.
You lie in the dark and the movie starts playing.
You replay a scene from 10 or 20 years ago. A harsh word you said to your child. A decision you made that went wrong. A relationship you failed.
You think: "I should have known better."
You think: "I was a bad mother/wife/friend."
You carry this guilt like a heavy stone in your chest, thinking that if you blame yourself enough, maybe you can fix it.
Society tells us that "Good women worry."
But the Buddha taught that guilt is not a virtue. It is just another heavy burden that stops you from moving forward.
🛶 The Parable of the Raft
To heal this, we need to look at one of the Buddha’s most famous illustrations: The Raft.
Imagine a man who needs to cross a difficult river. He builds a raft out of sticks and grass.
He uses the raft to paddle across the water safely. He reaches the other shore.
Now, he has a choice.
He can put the raft on his head and carry it for the rest of his journey, saying, "This raft helped me, so I must keep it."
Or, he can leave the raft on the beach and walk freely into the new land.
The Buddha asked: "Which man is wise?"
The answer is obvious. The man who puts it down.
My dear friend, your past mistakes were just the raft.
They taught you what you needed to learn. They got you to this moment.
But you are on the shore now. Why are you still carrying the heavy wood on your head?
📜 The Buddha's Specific Teaching: "Bhaddekaratta"
The Buddha gave a beautiful poem called the Bhaddekaratta Sutta (The Discourse on One Who Has a Single Excellent Night).
It is the ultimate cure for 3 AM regret.
He taught:
“Atitam nanvagameyya.”
(Do not revive the past.)
"The past is left behind. The future is not yet reached.
Deeply observe the life happening right now."
When you replay your mistakes, you are trying to revive a ghost. You are letting a moment that is long gone steal the life you have today.
🐾 The Lesson from the Road
Think of Aloka walking on the road.
Sometimes, he steps on a sharp stone or a thorn.
But does he stop? Does he sit there for three hours looking at the stone, blaming himself for stepping on it?
No.
He shakes his paw. He licks the spot once. And he keeps walking forward.
He knows that the miles behind him do not matter anymore. Only the next step matters.
You are allowed to shake off the pain. You are allowed to keep walking.
💊 Your Ritual for Tonight
Tonight, when that 3 AM memory comes back to visit you, do not fight it.
Instead, try this:
1. Visualize the Raft.
See that specific memory (the mistake) as a pile of old wood on the shore of a river.
2. Say to yourself:"I have crossed that river. I learned the lesson. I am putting the raft down now."
3. The Hand Release.
Physically clench your fist tight (holding the guilt).
Then, slowly open your hand and spread your fingers wide.
Feel the tension leave.
You have spent a lifetime forgiving everyone else. Now, offer that same grace to the woman in the mirror. She did the best she could with what she knew. Give her permission to let it go.
Words by: ✍🏻 Sahan Vishvajith
Image Courtesy: 📸 Walk for Peace
Did this story help you? Follow The Mindful Walk for more daily wisdom like this. 🙏
