The Parable Of The Two Zen Monks

Divine Life Society Publication: The Eye Of The Hurricane by Swami Chidananda

Two Zen monks were on a journey. They came to a little stream where the current was a little strong and there was a village woman waiting to cross. But the time of the ferry had already been over and the last boat had crossed over. The boatman had tied the boat and gone home. But this woman still had to go across; she was lamenting how she could spend the night this side of the river. The two monks were strong and they did not worry about this stream. They tied up their cloth and prepared to ford (wade).

Seeing the woman’s state, the elder monk asked the younger to go and inquire what her situation was. Did she have relatives there with whom she could spend the night? The younger monk went and asked, and she said, “No, I do not know what to do”. Then the young monk said, “Don’t worry mother, I will take you across”. So he lifted her up and forded the stream in company with his senior companion and reached the other bank and put the grateful woman on her feet and she thanked him profusely and went. So they continued their journey, but the elder monk was very much upset.

It was against the rules of their monastic order to touch a female, much less to lift her up in arms and carry her for such a long time (two or five minutes, may be). So he was completely upset. First of all he cast a glance of disfavor and displeasure at the young man and even said, “What is it you have done?”. The young man said, “Forget it”.

At last, walking several miles, they reached their monastery and when they were about to enter, the old man once again started the theme and said, “Look here, you will have to make a penance; you will have to confess to the abbot; you have done something very, very wrong”. And the young man said, “What is it that you are referring to?”. “You carried that woman this evening.” The young monk looked with great surprise.

He said, “Look here, respected sir, I left her long ago by the riverside, miles behind, but you are still carrying her in your head”. He had carried her across and had forgotten the woman, but the old man all along was really carrying the woman in his head. This is the condition, the great problem of man bound and man liberated.

Excerpts from:

The Parable of The Two Zen Monks:  The Eye Of The Hurricane by Swami Chidananda

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