Two Monks
Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the fort of a river. There they
saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing what
to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her
clothes. Without more thought , one of the monks took her on his
back, carried her across and put her down on dry ground on the
other side.
Then 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. Ho how could you go against the rule 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?"
Irmgard Schloegl
The Wisdom of Zen Masters