THE MONK & THE WOMAN

The Monk and the Woman

Two Buddhist monks were journeying from one monastery to another when they came across a beautiful, but timid, young woman standing by a river bank, rather frightened to cross the swift flowing river. The elder of the two monks offered to carry her across, and she readily agreed. She climbed up on to his shoulders, and he waded across, leaving the woman, dry and thankful, on the other side.

The two monks continued on their way, but the younger of the two was very disappointed in the older monk’s behavior. Had he forgotten that he was a monk, and that he shouldn’t touch any woman, let alone a beautiful young woman? What would people say? Did he not know the rules of the order they both belonged to? And so on. The young monk’s lecture lasted for a few good miles.

Finally, unable to take any more, the older monk interrupted the flow of criticism and said to his companion: “Brother, I left the girl by the riverbank. Are you still carrying her?”