The Other Side

One day a young girl on her journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, she pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier.

Just as she was about to give up her pursuit to continue his journey she saw someone who looked like a Zen master on the other side of the river. The girl called over to the Zen master, “Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river?”

The Zen master pondered for a moment, looked up and down the river and called back, “My dear, you are on the other side!”

from 101 Zen Stories