Once upon a time, there was a wandering Sufi who journeyed from village to village in search of true happiness. He asked every wise person he met along the way for their advice, but no one seemed to have the answer he was looking for.
One day, he came upon an old man sitting by a river, fishing. The Sufi approached him and asked, “O wise fisherman, can you tell me how to find true happiness?”
The fisherman smiled and said, “Happiness is like a fish swimming in this river. It is always here, but you must learn to catch it.”
The Sufi was confused and asked, “How do I catch it?”
The fisherman replied, “You must cast your net of mindfulness and awareness into the river of life. Let go of your fears and desires, and simply be present in each moment. Happiness will swim into your net of its own accord.”
The Sufi thanked the fisherman for his advice and continued on his journey. As he traveled, he practiced the fisherman’s words and soon discovered that happiness was indeed like a fish swimming in the river of life. It was always there, waiting to be caught.
With each passing day, the Sufi felt lighter and lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He realized that happiness was not something he could acquire, but something he already had within him.
And so, he continued to cast his net of mindfulness and awareness into the river of life, and happiness continued to swim into it, filling him with joy and peace.
In this way, the Sufi learned that happiness is not a destination, but a journey, a journey of letting go and simply being present in each moment.