Once upon a time, two Japanese monks were walking along a road together. The rain the evening before had left large puddles in their path, so they made their way with care. When they came upon an intersection covered by an especially large puddle of mud, they noticed a young woman who had stopped at the edge of the puddle. She was dressed in a white silk kimono, and her dilemma was obvious: there was no way she could cross the intersection without soiling her gown.
The first of the two monks asked the woman if she would like some help. She answered yes. The monk then scooped her up in his arms, walked straight through the mud, and put her down on the other side. The woman thanked him and continued on her way.
The monks resumed their journey, but a rift had developed between them. The second monk refused to speak to the first. They walked together in an uneasy silence until that evening when they reached their destination, the lodging temple. It was there that the second monk turned to the first, pointed his finger, and demanded, "Why did you do it?" The first monk was taken by surprise. "Do what?" he asked. "Don’t play dumb with me" snapped the second monk. "You know what I’m talking about. You know very well we monks are not supposed to have anything to do with woman, especially shapely young woman such as the one you carried across the puddle back at the intersection. Tell me, why did you do it? Why did you pick her up?"
The first monk paused for a moment, shrugged, and then replied, "I put her down a long time ago. Maybe you’re the one still carrying her."
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