A young man came to the temple seeking ordination. The abbot asked him why, and he replied, “Life is too painful.” When the abbot inquired further about the source of his pain, the young man said, “When I see others doing better than me, I feel intense jealousy and wish for their misfortune. When I see others suffer, I take great pleasure in it—yet later, I end up worse off than them. This torment has driven me to seek liberation through monastic life.”

After hearing his words, the abbot led him to the temple’s release pond. Lotus flowers bloomed on the water’s surface, and fish swam leisurely beneath the lily pads, carefree and content. The abbot asked, “Do you know why these fish are so at ease?” The young man thought for a moment and replied, “They have no thoughts, so they don’t experience pain or worry like humans.” The abbot smiled, shook his head, and stroked his beard. “No,” he said, “it’s because they don’t fix their eyes on other fish.”

Puzzled, the young man stared at the abbot. The abbot then took him to the mountain behind the temple. Pointing to a patch of land overgrown with weeds, he said, “This field is choked with wild grass, and the bean sprouts are smothered. Now, pull out all the weeds.” The young man obediently began removing the weeds, working until the sun was nearly set. By then, the lush green bean sprouts were finally visible.

The abbot asked him how he felt. The young man replied, “Though I’m exhausted, I’m happy—I’ve never felt such joy before.” The abbot smiled and said, “Your suffering stems from the weeds of jealousy and schadenfreude growing in your heart. Only by uprooting them will you truly find liberation.”

The young man then asked, “The weeds in the field are easy to pull—but how do I remove the weeds in my heart?” The abbot answered, “Stop fixating on others. Focus on living your own life well.” After hearing this, the young man pressed his palms together in gratitude, bowed, and descended the mountain.