06/12/2025
THE TWO MONKS AND THE INJURED GIRL 🙏
Once upon a time, two monks – one old and one young – were walking along a mountain road after the rain. The path was muddy and slippery.
They came to a river where the water was flowing fast. On the bank stood a young woman. Her clothes were neat, but one of her legs was injured, so she walked with a limp and did not dare step into the water.
She looked at the two monks and said softly:
“Dear masters, my leg is hurt. I’m afraid to cross the river alone. Could you please help me?”
The young monk felt uncomfortable. He thought:
“I am a monk… how can I touch a young woman?”
But the old monk did not say a word. He gently bent down, lifted the girl onto his back, and carefully walked across the river, trying not to let water splash onto her injured leg.
When they reached the other side, he put her down. The girl bowed in gratitude and limped away on the path.
The two monks continued their journey. They walked for a long time.
The young monk still looked upset and tense. Finally, he could not hold it in anymore and said:
“Master, we are monks… How could you carry a young woman like that?”
The old monk answered calmly:
“I put her down by the river a long time ago. Why are you still carrying her in your mind?”
In that moment, the young monk suddenly understood:
Very often, the real burden is not what we carry on our back,
but what we refuse to put down in our heart.
🌊 Lesson 1: Many things in life are already over, but we keep suffering because we replay them again and again in our mind.
🧠 Lesson 2: Attachment and judgment in our thoughts are sometimes heavier than the actual situation.
🪷 Lesson 3: When we learn to let go inside, the road ahead becomes lighter, even if nothing outside has changed.
