Long ago, in Japan, two Buddhist monks were travelling together along a muddy road. They were returning to their monastery after a long journey. Both monks had taken vows to live a simple life, practise self-discipline, and avoid worldly attachments.
As they walked, they came across a young woman standing beside a stream. She was dressed in fine clothes and was trying to cross the stream, but the water was deep and the stones were slippery. She was afraid of falling and ruining her clothes.
Seeing her difficulty, the older monk approached her and gently asked, “Would you like some help crossing the stream?”
The woman nodded gratefully.
Without hesitation, the monk lifted her onto his back, carried her across the stream, and carefully placed her on the other side. The woman thanked him warmly, and the two monks continued their journey.
For several hours, they walked in silence.
However, the younger monk was troubled. He had been taught that monks should avoid physical contact with women. He could not understand how his companion, a senior monk, could have carried a woman on his back so casually.
He kept thinking about the incident. His mind was filled with questions, doubts, and disapproval.
Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he turned to the older monk and said, “Brother, how could you carry that woman? We are monks. We have taken vows to avoid such contact. Don't you think you have broken your discipline?”
The older monk looked at him calmly and replied, “I left the woman beside the stream hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?”
The younger monk stood speechless.
He suddenly realised that although the older monk had physically carried the woman for only a few moments, he himself had been carrying the incident in his mind for hours. The older monk had helped someone in need and then moved on. The younger monk, however, had continued to hold on to the event, feeding his thoughts with judgment, doubt, and resentment.
The two monks resumed their journey. But the younger monk's mind was no longer the same. He began to understand that spiritual discipline was not merely about following external rules. It was also about learning to free the mind from unnecessary burdens.
From that day onward, he tried to practise letting go of thoughts that served no purpose and to respond to life's situations with greater compassion and understanding.
Moral of the Story
Sometimes, the burdens we carry in our minds are heavier than anything we carry with our hands. Learn to let go of the past, stop dwelling on what has already happened, and move forward with a peaceful mind.
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