A Zen Story

Once two Zen monks were walking together along a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around a bend they met an attractive young girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection because of a big puddle of mud in her way. The girl asked if one of them could lift her across. The younger one said “Certainly not, my vows preclude my touching a woman.” The older monk simply picked her up and carried her over the mud.

The two monks walked on in silence for some time. Finally, the younger one spoke: “I cannot get over the fact that you carried that woman across the mud. Have you no sense of propriety, no self discipline?”

The older one asked: “What did I do when I reached the other side?”

The younger one answered: “You put her down.”

“Exactly,” said the older monk, “And you are still carrying her!”

The anecdote about the two Zen monks beautifully encapsulates the essence of letting go and the burden of carrying emotional baggage. The older monk’s action of carrying the girl across the mud serves as a poignant metaphor for the attachments and grudges that individuals carry with them throughout their lives.

The refusal of the younger monk to assist the girl indicates a strict adherence to his vows and principles. However, as the older monk astutely points out, it is not the initial action of lifting the girl that matters, but the inability to let go of the incident afterwards that becomes the real burden. This timeless story serves as a gentle reminder to release the weight of past grievances, allowing for a more peaceful and unencumbered existence.