Two monks

There were two monks on a journey. One of them was a senior monk, the other was a junior monk. They came to an river with a strong current, realized that there was a lady on the river bank. It was obvious she was concerned how she would get to the other side of the river.

Since two monks had taken vows not to touch women. The junior monk walked straight past her. However, the senior monk picked up the woman and carried her across the river, placed her down gently. Soon after, they parted ways and carried on their journey.

One hour passed, two monks were silent, two hours passed they still remained silent. Finally, the junior asked the senior, “why did you carry her over the river, it is against our way of life”. The senior replied, “I left the woman at the river edge, why are you still carrying her?”

This simple story has a beautiful message. The senior monk had broken the rules for good reasons and but never gave a further thought. In contrast, young one didn’t touch her, however his mind was fixated on her. In other words, he was carrying the burden as emotional baggage.

We see this in life. We have little use for past experiences, except for learning. For instance, we tend to ruminate over past actions, but it will ultimately weigh us down and sap our energy. We need to let go of any burden that the past has placed on us.