Once evening just before sunset, there were two Buddhist monks walking by a river in silence.
A short distance ahead of them lay a beautiful woman scantily clad, who seemed to be in pain. As the two monks approached the woman, she looked at them and pointing towards her sprained ankle said, "Brothers, please be so kind as to help me to get across the river. As you can see I am unable to walk back home which is close to the bank of the river on the other side".
The younger monk looked away and continued to walk on almost as if he had not heard her at all. The slightly older monk stopped and replied, "Of course".
He lifted her easily in his arms and waded across the shallow part of the river. After leaving her on the other side and ensuring that some of her friends had been called out to, to fetch her; he crossed back and returned to the waiting monk.
Silently the two monks continued to walk on.
After about 25 minutes or so the younger monk could hold it in no more. "Brother, we are bound by oaths and vows; how then could you have touched a woman back there? I have followed all your teachings till now without question and having witnessed what I just did, I am not sure how I feel from this moment onward towards you".
The older monk looked calmly at the younger monk's face and replied, "I dropped the lady about half a mile back, my Brother you are still carrying her".
Moral of the story? There is no 'right' and there is no 'wrong' - EVER. In any given situation a normal, assumed and accepted wrong could be totally right. So judge thee nobody, least of all yourself and be your own 'Master' in YOUR situation.
Love and Light, Gratitude and Honour, Success and Happiness to you on your chosen path,
Latika Tripathi/Purvi Beri.
(c) Latika Tripathi 2011.
A short distance ahead of them lay a beautiful woman scantily clad, who seemed to be in pain. As the two monks approached the woman, she looked at them and pointing towards her sprained ankle said, "Brothers, please be so kind as to help me to get across the river. As you can see I am unable to walk back home which is close to the bank of the river on the other side".
The younger monk looked away and continued to walk on almost as if he had not heard her at all. The slightly older monk stopped and replied, "Of course".
He lifted her easily in his arms and waded across the shallow part of the river. After leaving her on the other side and ensuring that some of her friends had been called out to, to fetch her; he crossed back and returned to the waiting monk.
Silently the two monks continued to walk on.
After about 25 minutes or so the younger monk could hold it in no more. "Brother, we are bound by oaths and vows; how then could you have touched a woman back there? I have followed all your teachings till now without question and having witnessed what I just did, I am not sure how I feel from this moment onward towards you".
The older monk looked calmly at the younger monk's face and replied, "I dropped the lady about half a mile back, my Brother you are still carrying her".
Moral of the story? There is no 'right' and there is no 'wrong' - EVER. In any given situation a normal, assumed and accepted wrong could be totally right. So judge thee nobody, least of all yourself and be your own 'Master' in YOUR situation.
Love and Light, Gratitude and Honour, Success and Happiness to you on your chosen path,
Latika Tripathi/Purvi Beri.
(c) Latika Tripathi 2011.
