A Heavy Load
Two travelling monks reached a town where there was
a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep
puddles and she couldn’t step across without spoiling her silken robes. She
stood there looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants.
They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn’t help
her across the puddle.
The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing,
and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back,
transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She
didn’t thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed.
As they continued on their way, the young monk was
brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he
spoke out. “That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you
picked her up on your back and carried her! Then she didn’t even thank
you!”
“I set the woman down hours ago,” the
older monk replied. “Why are you still carrying her?”
I love this story. So simple.
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