The Quiet Monk by the Shore of Impermanence

When he heard the news that the Buddha would soon enter nirvana, the monk Tissa quietly devoted himself to diligent practice. The Sangha misunderstood him as eccentric, but the Buddha himself praised him and spoke a verse about true diligence.

That afternoon, the Jetavana forest was strangely still. Pale golden sunlight filtered through the sala trees, casting long streaks of light across the ground like slender fingers. The air felt heavy, carrying an invisible sorrow that weighed down every step of the monks. Sad news had spread throughout the Sangha: in four months, the World-Honored One would enter nirvana.

Amid the murmuring crowd, a young monk named Tissa quietly withdrew to a secluded corner. He spoke to no one and did not join his brothers in their conversations of regret. From the day he heard the news, his face bore a look of strain, his brow slightly furrowed as if pondering something very deep. He began avoiding others, no longer going on alms rounds with the rest, no longer exchanging polite greetings. Each day, he silently sat in meditation beneath an ancient tree at the edge of the forest, or walked slowly in meditation along a narrow path, eyes cast down, lips pressed tight.

Seeing Tissa's strange behavior, many monks began to whisper. Some shook their heads: "Tissa's practice used to be quite ordinary. Why has he suddenly become so eccentric? Could it be that hearing the Buddha will soon pass away has disturbed his mind?" Others showed their displeasure: "We are all grieving, yet we still live together in harmony. But he keeps to himself, silent and aloof, as if looking down on the rest of us." These words reached Tissa's ears, but he never replied. Sometimes, in the stillness of night, he asked himself: "Am I doing the right thing? Or am I isolating myself from the Sangha?" But then he would remember the Buddha's teaching on impermanence (anicca), on the final days slipping away second by second, and he would feel urged once more to devote all his remaining strength to practice.

One morning, while the monks were gathered before the Buddha, one of them rose and said:

"World-Honored One, the monk Tissa has been behaving very strangely lately. He avoids his brothers, speaks to no one, and keeps silently to himself. We fear he has become eccentric and arrogant, no longer in harmony with the community."

The Buddha gazed silently over the assembly, then looked toward Tissa, who sat at the far end of the gathering, humble in bearing but with eyes shining with intense determination. The Buddha smiled, and his voice, deep and warm, was enough to dispel every misunderstanding:

"Monks, you have misunderstood Tissa. Tissa is neither eccentric nor proud. Knowing that in four months the Tathagata will enter nirvana and be seen no more, and that he himself has not yet realized the path, Tissa is devoting all his strength to diligent practice. One who truly honors the Tathagata from the heart is precisely one like Tissa."

Then the Buddha looked straight at Tissa, his eyes full of compassion and tenderness, and spoke this verse:

"Having tasted the flavor of solitude, Having known the flavor of peace, Free of evil, free of fear, That one dwells in the dharma of joy."

Hearing these words, Tissa felt as though a warm light filled his heart. He had never imagined that his quiet diligence would be understood and praised by the Teacher of the Path. Tears rolled down his cheeks, yet his heart felt wonderfully light. He no longer felt alone in his effort. From then on, Tissa continued to practice in silence, but no one misunderstood him again. His diligence was not for show, nor to earn others' admiration, but for one purpose alone: to realize enlightenment before parting from the Teacher of the Path.

Later, the story of the monk Tissa became a precious lesson for the Buddha's disciples. True diligence needs no display, no recognition from others. It arises from a heart longing for liberation, from a soul ever mindful of the impermanence (anicca) of human life. And it was through such right diligence that Tissa planted wholesome seeds along his path to enlightenment.

The Meaning of the Story

The story of the monk Tissa teaches us that true diligence springs from reverence for the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) and from a deep awareness of impermanence (anicca), not from a desire to show off or to surpass others. Whether practicing within a community or living alone, one who maintains constant, humble diligence, without arrogance or pretense, is the one who truly honors the Buddha and deserves praise. At the same time, the story reminds us that diligence alone is not enough to realize the path; it must be balanced with merit, wisdom, and inner peace, lest excessive striving lead to inner turmoil.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang