Very Old Zen Tale: Crossing The River
A very old Zen tale tells that a teacher had two young disciples in his charge. They were both very good pupils, disciplined and with a good spirit of sacrifice. They wanted to improve and become masters too. Every day they did everything they could to make it happen.
Above all, the teacher tried to teach them emotional detachment. According to Zen philosophy, attachment is the main source of suffering; detaching, letting be and letting go are very important goals in this philosophy. The path to emotional detachment is a path to peace, as it is the fundamental component of happiness.
This Zen story therefore speaks to us of two young people who were trying, in every way, to depend less and less on things and people. They ate only what was necessary and even fasted for several days with great happiness. Their dress was very humble. Their homes and their very modest beds. And all this was not a sacrifice for them, as their goal was to improve.
Zen story about attachment
One day, the master asked his two disciples to accompany him to bring food to a nearby village, which was very poor. They both accepted with great enthusiasm, even offering to carry the heavy vessels. When they reached their destination, they shared the food with humility and a helpful attitude. They were extremely happy to be able to help others.
On the way back, the Zen master said to go through the woods near the monastery. It was still early and all three could contemplate the beauty of the flowers, the sky and the animals. Plus, there was a river right next to it. Could there be greater joy than drinking from its crystal clear water?
They walked for some time in silence. They were enjoying the caresses of the sun and the wind. They breathed in the smell of grass and listened to birdsong. Then they came to the river. They would never have imagined what they would find there: a beautiful woman smiling.
A disconcerting reversal in the Zen tale
The two young monks were very surprised by the beauty of this woman. She was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. So they became very nervous and began to walk first timidly and then a little flashy. They circled around her. They completely forgot what they were doing and had eyes only for her.
The woman smiled winkly at their trepidation. Then, in a seductive voice, she asked to be helped to cross the river. One of the two young men rushed. He took her in his arms as she looked at him in a bewitching way. The young monk smiled at her as he carried her to the other side. After that, he was reunited with the teacher and the companion he had left behind.
The master looked intently at the young man and then they continued on their way. All the way to the monastery the master looked at the pupil who had helped the woman and then narrowed his eyes without saying anything.
A lesson: from theory to practice
Days passed and the other monk could not explain why the master had remained silent in the face of what he considered an affront. How was it possible that the other monk had succumbed to the girl’s beauty and preferred to help her first rather than the teacher? The very thought filled him with anger.
The other monk, on the other hand, was very quiet. He continued with his daily routine. He didn’t even notice that his partner was angry. His relationship with the teacher continued to be normal and he never mentioned the episode with the beautiful girl. His companion began to incubate a dull grudge that tormented him. One day he could no longer restrain himself and decided to go to the master to complain about the situation.
“Master, why didn’t you tell him anything? He left us on the river bank to help that stranger! Don’t you have anything to tell him? You should call him back for his selfishness and low regard; for giving in to attachment and lust, ”she told him.
The master looked at him for a long time in silence, then uttered a sentence that the young monk would never forget. He said to him, “Your partner took the girl, helped her cross the river and left her there. You, on the other hand, were unable to detach yourself from him or her or the river ”.
