A young man got married. He boarded a boat with his wife to cross to the other side, where his village lay. Suddenly, a great storm arose. Fierce winds blew, and the boat began to sway violently, almost on the verge of sinking.
The wife became extremely frightened, but the young man remained calm—his calmness like that of a statue of the Buddha.
His wife said, “You are sitting so peacefully. The boat is about to break. Death is close.”
The young man suddenly drew his sword and placed it on his wife’s neck. He said, “Aren’t you afraid? The sword is on your neck—one small movement, and your head could fall.”
She replied, “When the sword is in your hands, how can I be afraid?”
The young man put the sword back and said, “This is my answer. When the storm and the wind are in His hands, why should I be anxious? If we are to drown, we will drown. If we are to be saved, we will be saved. When the sword is in my hand, you do not fear— when everything is in His hands, then what is there to worry about? We are not outside His hands. So why anxiety?”
