A Story of Two Monks

In a village, there were two monks on a pilgrimage, and they come across a young girl with a long kimono trying to cross a very muddy road, but did not dare step into the mud. Listening to the woman’s fears, one of the monks decided to pick her up and carry her across the path. The monks continue to walk in silence for another few hours.

One monk says to the other who carried the girl, “Oh, you know, we are prohibited from any contact with women. You shouldn’t have picked up that girl to carry across the way. Wait until the abbot hears of this.” The other monk smiles and says, “Brother, are you still carrying that girl? I put her down hours ago.”

Many of us carry things with us far longer than is necessary.  We need to let it go.  Don’t you think?

 

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21 thoughts on “A Story of Two Monks

  1. Very meaningful story. Some times it is really hard to let things go, maybe because we are so much emotionally attached to it.

  2. True and absolutely a perfect message given in this story and we do carry our emotional baggage with us at times and it is so difficult to simply let go. Beautiful and motivating post, Bernice.

  3. Hi. It’s hard to let things go: grudges; insults directed at us; etc.

    But, like you say, it’s beneficial to let them go. They’re a burden.

    See ya!

    Neil Scheinin

  4. 🙂 That happens to be one of my favourite stories of all time.

    Indirectly, it can be a superb way of telling someone not to carry their emotional baggage with them.

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