• Two monks, one old and one young, were walking a road in the rain one stormy night, back to their monastery. Their sandals sloshed through the puddles and squished in the mud, and they trudged on, unaffected and peaceful. They walked on, until they came to a river, and at the bank a very beautiful young woman was standing, stranded, unable to cross for fear of ruining her Kimono. Without speaking a word, the old monk lifted the woman over his shoulder and carried her across the river, placing her at the far bank and moving on along his way. This upset the younger monk greatly, so much so that, a good distance later, he could not take it anymore and yelled at the old monk demanding,"Why is it that you took that young woman in your arms?! You know it is forbidden! For holding women in your arms shall cloud the mind and obstruct one's path to Nirvana!!" The old monk looked up at him without even slowing his pace, laughed and replied with a smile,"I set that woman down at the riverbank! Are you still carrying her?"