Zen Parables - Are You Still Carrying The Burden?

Welcome to Zen parables with Ekta.

Zen teaches us something very essential.

We hold onto rules and regulations so strongly that sometimes we may not be able to get past them.

We get attached to everything.

The essence of Zen is to move from attachment to non-attachment.

The essence of Zen is to move from mind to the state of no mind.

When I narrate the next parable to you,

A lot of concepts,

Ideas about rules and regulations might pop up in the mind.

Remember,

They are just thoughts.

They are not my thought.

They are just thoughts.

Please engage from them.

Move from noise to silence.

Move from thought to that which lies beyond thought.

Move towards the awareness.

Today's parable is titled,

The Burden.

Two monks were passing by a river.

This river usually used to be dry and people could cross it pretty easily just jumping over certain rocks.

But today the water was a little high because it had rained.

There was a young woman standing at the bank of the river where these two monks reached.

They were going to cross over when one of the monks noticed that the young woman was having a difficulty in trying to cross over.

So he lifted her up in his arms and he took her to the other side of the river.

He put her down on the other side and the two monks continued walking away towards the monastery.

In the evening,

The younger monk came and asked this elder monk who had helped the woman.

He asked him,

As monks we cannot touch a woman.

The elder monk said,

Yes that's correct.

The younger monk said,

Then how is it that you lifted that woman and helped her cross the river?

The elder monk said,

I already put her down on the other side of the river.

Are you still carrying the burden?

Are you still carrying the burden?