Baggage

Two monks were traveling together when they reached a river with a damaged bridge. As they were wading across the river they saw a pretty lady stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river.

The first monk offered to carry her across the river on his back and the lady accepted. The second monk was shocked by the move of the first monk. 'How can he carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the second monk but he kept quiet. While the first monk carried the lady across the river the second monk followed unhappily.

When they crossed the river, the first monk let the pretty lady down and they parted ways with her.

All along the way the second monk was very unhappy with the act of the first monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about the first monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet.

Finally, many hours later, the second monk could not stand it any further and burst out angrily at the first monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All this make you a big hypocrite.

The first monk was very surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'