The King Who Crossed the River

That morning, the royal capital was livelier than usual. Along the streets, people were excitedly whispering a strange piece of news to one another: "The Buddha has appeared in the world, unveiling the teaching of liberation!" The news was like a cool breeze stirring people's hearts, but to the king sitting in his royal palace, it was like a clap of thunder across a clear sky.

He had been holding his brush to approve petitions when he suddenly paused. His hand trembled slightly. A strange feeling, unlike anything he had ever known, rose up within him, both joyful and compelling with intense urgency. He looked up and gazed out the window, where white clouds were drifting in the distance. Then, as if by natural impulse, he called his court officials:

"I have heard that the Buddha has appeared in the world. Where is He now?"

One official bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, they say He is on the other side of the river."

The king did not hesitate. He rose to his feet, his eyes shining brightly: "Prepare the horses! I will go to meet the Buddha at once."

The court officials were stunned. Never before had they seen the king so resolute and so impatient. Some tried to dissuade him: "Your Majesty, the road is long and the river is deep. Please go slowly." Others whispered among themselves: "Could it be that His Majesty has been possessed by some dark spirit?" But no one had the power to hold him back. The king seemed to have placed his complete faith in something invisible, something greater than his royal throne.

The procession set out. Horses and carriages rumbled along, and clouds of dust obscured the road. When they reached the riverbank, everyone came to a halt. The river stretched vast and wide, its currents rushing swiftly, without a single boat in sight. The court officials looked at one another anxiously. One official spoke up:

"Your Majesty, the river is too deep, and there are no boats. We cannot cross. Might Your Majesty consider turning back and coming another time?"

The king gazed at the flowing water, his heart unwavering. He thought of the Buddha, of the teaching of liberation he had always longed for. A faith surged up within him, intense to the point of wonder. He spoke, his voice deep yet full of authority:

"If I truly have the conditions (dependent origination) to meet the Buddha, if my heart is sincere, then may my horse cross this river!"

The court officials were astonished, thinking the king must be joking. But before anyone could react, the king spurred his horse forward. The horse neighed loudly, its four hooves touched the surface of the water, and then, strangely, it did not sink. Step by step, the horse ran across the surface of the river as if running on solid ground. The water splashed white foam all around, yet it did not swallow them. The entire company stood with mouths agape, unable to believe their own eyes. The king remained steady on the horse's back, his eyes fixed on the far shore, where the Buddha was.

When the horse's hooves touched the far bank, the king quickly dismounted and walked swiftly toward the Buddha, who was sitting beneath a tree. He bowed in homage, his heart overflowing with rapture and joy. The Buddha looked at him with eyes of compassion, then delivered a brief dharma discourse. Only a few words, yet they were like a key that flung open the door of his heart. The king sat in silence, and then suddenly, his face radiated a most extraordinary light. In that very moment, he attained realization, without any further practice at all.

The court officials stood behind him, witnessing everything, and each one was deeply moved. They saw clearly that the king's intense and complete faith was the very miracle that carried him across every obstacle, both the river and ignorance. Later, when many people heard the story of a horse running on water, they dismissed it as a fable and dared not believe it. But for that king, it was a plain and evident truth, a testament to the power of absolute faith.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates the first obstacle in meditative concentration: the restlessness of body and mind. More than that, it shows that intense and complete faith can help a practitioner overcome every hindrance, even those that seem impossible. When we place our complete faith in the true Dharma and in our teacher, every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for practice, and enlightenment can arrive sooner than we imagine.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Abbot Thích Chân Quang.