
Two monks were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was falling. Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection. “Come on, girl,” said the first monk. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud. The second monk did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. “We monks don’t go near females,” he said. “It is dangerous. Why did you do that?” “I left the girl there,” the first monk said. “Are you still carrying her?”
Funny Zen story of two monks and a lovely girl
Alternate Version: http://www.the-intuitive-self.org/scripts/frameit/author.cgi?/website/author/memoir/supplements/tale_two_monks.html
Related Posts: Timeless Relaxing Zen quotes to soothe your being
Celebrate the journey of Shambhala and live in basic goodness


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I’ve always loved this one, humorous and leaves us with a good message too.
Let bygones be bygones, bury the hatchet, or just stfu and go on. =p
Good post.
What the hell?
Two priests were walking down the road, when they saw a prostitute dressed very provocatively on the other side of the way. The first turned his head away quickly, but then noticed his brother was staring at the woman. “Brother,” said the first “turn away, lest she incite lust in you!” But the second kept staring.
Then the first noticed the tears welling up in the eyes of the second. “Brother,” said the second “it is good to turn away so as not to give rise to the temptation to lust. But I look because I see such utter beauty of this child of God which she herself cannnot see. She doesn’t know how beautiful she is as a child of God.”
I like this one better, http://www.the-intuitive-self.org/scripts/frameit/author.cgi?/website/author/memoir/supplements/tale_two_monks.html
After all, the monk who dared to carry the woman slept not well in that night.
On Monday I started i-sorcerer. On Tuesday, second post, I wrote: “The internet is like a box of chocolates. In every layer there is a surprise!” And here, on Wednesday, your site comes to my attention. Thanks for being here. I’ll be surfing your site today for more…
Passion,lust and the desire for material things is in your mind not your arms or hands. He carried the concubine only so far the other never let her out of his mind.
This story is very valuable. The first monk sees the essence of his religion, whereas the second sees only the rules associated with it, failing to understand their original purpose. This trap is so common in all religions…
I agree with CJ
what’s with the blurry naked woman?
All suffering, even something as simple as a stranded woman, has a remedy. Acting in the ‘now’ is the solution. Avoiding Karma means not carrying around (worrying about) incidents from the past in our head. Beauty is relative, and one practice in Tibetan Buddhism requires we see all humans as just bones and flesh. In the end there is just ‘true mind’.
Author,
Thanks for sharing A.Mouse. I agree, I like that one better as well. I appreciate your comment and link on my site. For those who missed it, here is a great alternate version. A Tale of Two Monks: http://www.the-intuitive-self.org/scripts/frameit/author.cgi?/website/author/memoir/supplements/tale_two_monks.html
I heard a slightly different version “I left the girl there 5 minutes ago, why are you still carring her?” but the message is the same.
Great story, once again thanks for bringing it to my memory
Cheers,
Glen
don’t understand it.sorry