TWO MONKS AND THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
<blockquote>An old monk and a young monk were walking through a forest when they came to a river bank and saw a beautiful young woman standing at the edge of the bank.
The woman told the monks that she was afraid to cross the river because she might slip and be carried downstream. She asked if one of the monks might help her across.
Now it so happened that these 2 monks were members of a sect which practiced celibacy and they had both taken vows never to touch a member of the opposite sex. But the old monk, sensing the extreme anxiety of the young woman, lifted her onto his back and carried her to the other side of the river.
The young woman thanked him and went on her way. The 2 monks continued on their journey, but the young monk was shocked and disturbed at having seen his older companion break his vow so nonchalantly. Finally, after 3 hours of walking and thinking, he could contain himself no longer and he burst out, "Tell me, old man, what did it feel like to break your vow of so many years? What did it feel like to allow sensuality to tempt you from your spiritual path? What did it feel like to have her smooth warm thighs wrapped around your waist, her breasts brushing against your back, her arms around your neck and her soft cheek almost one with your own? Tell me, old man, what is it like to carry such a beautiful young woman?"
The older monk remained silent for several steps and then said, "It is you who should tell me what it is like to carry such a beautiful young woman. You see I put her down 3 hours ago at the river, but you are still carrying her."</blockquote>
Obama supporters, Clinton supporters: how long will you carry your resentments now that we've crossed the river?





Blockquotes worked nicely, didn't they? *sigh*
June 9, 2008 6:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Use the buttons.
June 9, 2008 8:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do I hi-light the text I want blocked?
(You'd think they'd use the same method for posting and replies. Jeez.)
June 9, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, that's one of my favorite Buddhist stories! Never saw a version with so many sexy details before, though. Not sure if this will help illustrate your point, or distract from it.
June 9, 2008 7:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Keeps people reading until the end; as Sir Edmond pointed out, us Obamabots sit with our underpants around our ankles while reading other readers' posts.
June 9, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good point, though - we've got to let the resentments go. Mine are fading now that HRC has thrown her support to Obama.
June 9, 2008 7:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
When Master Hui-Neng was in hiding, he lived with hunters in Szu-hui for several years. Sometimes he preached to them in a manner that befitted their understanding. When he found animals in their nets, he would set them free. Each day when they returned from the hunt, he would put his vegetables in the pan in which they cooked their meat.
June 9, 2008 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
WWGD - What Would Grasshopper Do?
June 9, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Commercials.
June 9, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ha! So true!
Excellent post!
June 9, 2008 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not so much resentful of Clinton as I am wary of her and her surrogates. For me, the next step she takes and words she speaks regarding this election will go a long way in quelling or re-igniting any residual negative feelings I may have about her and hers. That said, the 'moral' of your posting is appreciated and needed.
June 9, 2008 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Honestly I feel the same way on the other side. It will be hard for me to not vote for the democrat for the first time in over 30 years. It will be hard for me to vote for Obama. I'll wait and see what happens in the next few months to decide which one is too hard to do.
June 9, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll wait and see what happens in the next few months to decide which one is too hard to do.
You mean to decide the case that overturns Roe v. Wade?
Oh, nevermind, you clearly mean the case for preemptively bombing Iran!
Er, was it the case for continuing an abyssmal economic policy all whilst grinning and telling us dumb plebs that clubbing some fucking baby seals in ANWR is the cure-all for our energy woes?
I'm sorry! It must be the case for a thorougly unprincipled GOP puppet and his masters (of course) to install a minimum of two justices to the highest court of the land.
If, at this point and as other far brigher posters have noted, one's still going to act as if one isn't sure which candidate to back in the General Election, then the onus is on such person to illustrate that they're not just some pathetic GOP sub-operative enacting some politically retarded fantasy at the expense of real dicourse. Shorter version: you're either a lousy Democrat or a lousy liar. That said, you could be both. But I'm trying to be generous here.
June 10, 2008 1:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
I might take another message from this characterization of the tale.
While it is the older monk who carried the woman across the stream in breach of his vow, it is actually the younger monk who seems to have the issue with his vow.
June 9, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, there a few lessons interwoven.
June 10, 2008 12:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Which river?
June 9, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
When my young son asks an obvious question, I always redirect it back to him.
Which river do you think we've crossed? Take your best guess.
June 10, 2008 12:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dale, you had me at "smooth warm thighs wrapped around your waist."
So is the moral of the story that Hillary has now been safely deposited on the other side of the river from us?
Or is to be wary of taking any stupid vows that you're going to regret the very first time they're tested?
June 9, 2008 8:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
If we've been carrying Hillary, then why didn't it feel as good as the young monk made it sound?
Here's to smooth thighs! > clink
June 10, 2008 12:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
And the moral of the story is:
Being a monk sucks.
June 9, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you overesteem great men [or women]
people become powerless
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
The Master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
She helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.
Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.
-Lao-tzu in Tao Te Ching
June 9, 2008 10:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice.
June 10, 2008 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Clarification: the story isn't a direct analogy to the democratic primaries. But the lesson about "letting go" and moving on is applicable.
Letting go allows one to move forward, unlike the novice monk who, in mind and spirit, was still crossing the river with the young woman.
I could say more, but sometimes more is learned when less is said.
June 10, 2008 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
I love zen stories! Thanks.
June 10, 2008 5:51 AM | Reply | Permalink