Once there were two monks who lived in a monastery high up in the Himalayas in India.
These monks had taken vows of poverty,celibacy,and service,and spent most of their time
with the others in the order totally removed from the world and studying the ancient scriptures.
It come to pass that these two monks had to take a journey down to the city to gather some supplies.
And so they set off from their mountain home.
After several days of travelling to a wide river filled with rapidly rushing water.
The river lay between them and their destination and so they prepared to wade across it.
Suddenly,they noticed a beautiful young woman pacing back and forth along the river banks.
When she noticed the monks,she quickly approached them,bowing in the usual respectful manner.
"Oh,revered ones,"she began."Surely God sent you to me.
I must get across the river to find milk for my children,but it is too high and I am too short
and poor swimmer at that.Surely I will drown If I attempt a crossing.
I have been praying for a miracle and now you have arrived.
Would you be so kind as to carry me on your back to the other side?"
The older of the two monks smiled at this lovely creature and said"We are servants of God.
of course we will help you."And with thwt,he bent over,offered her his back,hoisted her up as high
as he could,and began to ford the river,the younger monk following close behind with a scowl on his face.
Halfway across the rushing river,the older monk's energy began to fail him,"Brother,"he called out
to the younger monk,"it is your turn to take her the rest of the way."
The woman was transferred to the back of the second monk and they continued across until they
were safely on the opposite shore.
The woman thanked the monks profusely,touched their feet in respect,and went on her way.
The two monks walked down the ath toward the city and the younger monk began to speak.
"Brother,I am horrified,"he said."We have taken vows never to touch a woman,and yet you offered
to carry that one on your back and insisted that I do the same!What would people say?
What if someone saw us?Oh,this is just tragedy."The older monk did not respond.
An hour passed and the younger monk piped up again.
"How could you do this?he cried."We are tainted,ruined..All of our austerities are for naught.
We have touched the flesh of a woman,and a beautiful one at that!
What will we tell the head of the monastery?"
Again the older monk was silent.
Another hour passed and the younger monk now began to shout,"Brother,aren't you listening?"he cried,
tearing at his hair."We have sinned against God!"We are doomed!We will be reborn in our next life
as toads or vermin!
The older monk had been listening to this tirade for miles,turned towards the younger initiate and said,
"
Brother,I left that woman back at the river bank hours ago.Why are you still carrying her?"
-At times we may find ourselves feeling like that young monk,carrying something in our mind that we just can't let go of.
it could be worry about a situation we can't do anything about.It could be a reaction to something that happened
to us.It could be a problem to which we just can't seem to find a solution.
Our mind.whose nature it is to analyze,can fixate on these issues,so that it feels like we can't think
about anything else.
-I experienced this kind of mental broken record frequently.I have a very analytical mind,and one which likes
to know the answers to things.so when i can't figure something out,it makes me very uncomfortable.
I've learned the hard way that there are times when we have to do what a dear friend of mine suggest:
JUST DROP IT. As we think So we become.Analysis is paralysis
for those who red this story already its good to be reminded again...
and to others who doesn't, may this serves you such as encouragement...
credit goes to Dr.B.Angelis
