Two Japanese monks, making their way back to the monastery, came to a flooding creek. Beside it stood a woman, hesitating, afraid of the rushing waters.
Though the monks were forbidden by their code to touch women, the older man quickly picked her up, waded across the creek, set her down, and walked on.
As the two monks walked on, the younger one fretted. Finally, as they neared home, he blurted out, “Brother, why did you touch that woman? It’s against the rules.”
“Oh,” said the older monk, “are you still carrying her? I left her back on the bank of the creek.”
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