Once upon a time, two monks who were part of a monastery were travelling together. The monastery followed strict rules, which the monks needed to adhere to. The younger monk was relatively new to the monastery and observed other monks carefully. And he admired the elder monk who accompanied him on that particular journey. The journey was a learning experience for the young monk. He observed the elder monk and realised how the latter practically lived the teachings of the old masters. The elder monk spoke sparingly and walked with steady, measured steps and utmost awareness. To the young monk, his travel companion was meditation in motion.
The admiration grew manifold by the time they reached the riverfront. The river was shallow enough to be crossed easily. However, what perturbed the young monk was the woman who approached him with a request to assist her in crossing the river. He couldn’t do anything since the monastery forbade interaction with women, let alone touching them. Before he could reject her, what unfolded appalled him:The elder monk was indicating to the young woman to hop on to his shoulders, which she did. Carrying her on his shoulders, the elder monk crossed the river and placed her down on the other side of the river bank before both monks made their way ahead.
The incident was unsettling to the young monk, and he kept wondering if he should ask the elder monk regarding the rule he broke. He kept dissuading himself since it might seem impudent to confront his senior. However, by the third day, when they were back in the monastery and the incident refused to leave his thoughts, the young monk confronted the elder monk with his query.
‘Which woman?’ The elder monk wondered before he recalled the incident. ‘Oh, I helped someone who needed it and placed her down within a few minutes… Why are you still carrying her?’
The young monk was befuddled. He had no idea what the elder monk meant. Like the young monk, we continue to carry prejudices, contempt and resentments in our minds, unmindful of their having lost their relevance. May we not wait for an outsider to remind us of the unnecessary load being lugged around in our minds and learn to detach ourselves from such debilitating thoughts.
Rajessh M. Iyer is a storyteller who explores human relationships through meaningful anecdotes, parables, and stories; he shares his work on www.rajesshmiyer.com.
