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Two Zen Buddhist monks, Tanzan and Ekido were walking down a muddy road and it was still raining very heavily.
As they rounded a bend, they saw a beautiful young woman in a silk kimono who was unable to cross a swollen stream. She just stood there, lamenting her fate.
Upon seeing this, Tanzan said "come on, sister, please let me help you out" and he carried the woman on his back across the muddy rivulet and placed her on a patch of higher ground. The lady was very thankful and appreciative.
Ekido became angry with Tanzan, but he spoke not of it. The usually chatty monk immediately became silent as they walked along and he remained that way until late in the evening when they reached the lodging house. Eventually, Ekido could not control his silent protest any longer: "We are celibate monks! It is forbidden for us to touch women! to even think about pretty women! Yet there you go, carrying one on your back! That is disgusting, Tanzan and it goes against everything we have been taught!"
With that, Tanzan said "Brother, I left the woman back there, by the roadside many hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?"
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