THANK YOU very much, I have NO PROBLEM whatsoever.

The Story of Zen Master Sono

A quiet practice of gratitude and reframing

Long ago in a forest in Japan, there lived a Zen Master named Sono. She was known for her calm presence and wisdom. Many people from all walks of life came to see her for guidance. She offered the same response to everyone — no matter their pain, confusion, or longing.

All she would offer as advice was: “Thank you very much. I have no problems whatsoever.”

Some people left bewildered or even annoyed. Others took the phrase with them and tried it — repeating it day after day.

One day, a wealthy and important man came to see her. He was deeply troubled. “My life is falling apart,” he said. “I’m unwell. My family is suffering. I feel completely at a loss. Please — I don’t care what it costs. Just help me.”

Master Sono sat in stillness, listening with deep attention. Then, as always, she offered her response: "Every day when you wake up, when you go to sleep, and whenever something stirs in between, say: “Thank you very much. I have no problems whatsoever.”

The man was frustrated. He had expected something more than such a simple offering. “How can you say that?” he asked. “Everything is wrong. I do have problems — and I need answers.”

She nodded gently and said, “Say it every day. Say it whether you believe it or not. Say it when it feels true, and especially when it doesn’t.”

He didn’t understand. But something about her steadiness stayed with him. So he went away and practiced. He said it in the morning when the weight of the day pressed in. He said it on restless nights when nothing felt right. He said it with doubt, with frustration, with reluctance. And although slowly, something began to soften, his circumstances were the same. He still experienced problems and he felt no clearer about what he was supposed to do. He returned to see Master Sono to seek answers.

“I’ve been saying it,” he said. “Every morning and night—yet I still have problems. Why isn’t it working?”

Sono looked at him with gentle eyes and simply nodded, repeating once more: “Thank you very much. I have no problems whatsoever.”

At that moment, a leaf drifted down from a nearby tree — quiet, effortless, free. The man watched it land without sound. No grasping. No fixing. Just a quiet falling into place. Something inside started to shift. He understood.

He bowed low, and left.

A Note to Sit With

This story connects closely to our yoga and meditation practice.

Both invite us to notice what is happening inside without trying to change or fix it. Through steady practice, we learn to be present with difficulty, opening space for calm and acceptance instead of struggle.

It isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s not about denying what hurts. It also is not about never feeling angry or sad. It is about not adding more suffering on top of what’s already there - by becoming annoyed by things that seem not to be happening in the way we expect them to . It’s about choosing to let go of the tension that comes from constantly pushing, fixing and judging.

The phrase is a kind of inner rebalancing — a gentle cognitive reframing. Not to erase difficulty, but to hold it differently. To open up a bit more space around it.

Sometimes, when everything feels upside down, the only thing we can shift is the way we look at it, the way we speak to ourselves about it.

Try it. In the middle of the noise or the quiet. Say it like a kindness. A thread of steadiness.

"Thank you very much. I have no problems whatsoever".

Even if just for today.