Leaving your troubles behind (March 15, 2009)
To monks began a 20 mile journey. A young novice monk and an elder. Such was the order of these monks that they were forbidden to speak or be in the company of females. At the start of the journey they had a very wide river with a strong current, they had to wade across. When they arrived there sat an elderly woman whyling her time away. The current was too strong for her to cross alone. So she sat and she sat. The elder of the monks seeing and understanding her dilemma urged her to climb on his back and he carried her across the river. As he lowered her to the ground me fell and kissed his feet. She would be eternally grateful to the monk for this kind deed. They continued there jounrey in silence all the way the other monk seethed. He was furious. How could this elder foresake all that they believed in for this woman. As they walked he got more and more angry. A the very end of the journey he could contain himself no more. He turned to the elder and said, howe could you do that? How could you forsake all that we believe in? The elder turned to the young monk and said, yes I carried the woman across the river, but you my son have carried her for twenty. As he listened he understood, yes he had broken his vow, but the forfeit was worth it. but the deed was gone forgotten, he had immediatly forgiven himself. Which is what we all need to learn to do. Learn from the eperience, so we dont make the same mistakes twice. Then forgive ourselves. Click here to return to the Philosophy page
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