Two monks on a Pilgrimage came to a ford of a river. They saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing what to do as the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes. Without more ado, one of the monks took her on his back, carried her across and put her down on dry ground on the other side.
The monks continued on their way. But the other monk after an hour started complaining. 'Surely it is not right to touch a woman, it is against the commandments to have close contact with women. How could you go against the rules of monks?'
The monk who had carried the girl walked along silently, but finally he remarked, 'I set her down by the river an hour ago, why are you still carrying her?'
The Wisdom of Zen It's now 4.30, I'm going to try and go back to sleep.
