A Story to Remember

Summary

The provided text is a reflective narrative emphasizing the importance of letting go of past burdens to fully embrace the present, inspired by a Zen story about two monks and a woman.

Abstract

"A Story to Remember" recounts a Zen parable where two monks encounter a woman needing assistance to cross a river. The senior monk chooses to help her, despite their vow not to touch women, while the junior monk remains silent but distressed. Later, the senior monk questions the junior monk's continued obsession with the event, illustrating the point that holding onto past grievances only harms oneself. The narrative draws a parallel to our own lives, urging readers to release the emotional baggage of the past—anger, guilt, resentment—to truly live in the present, which is likened to a precious gift.

Opinions

The author suggests that the practice of mindfulness has been misunderstood, as people often fail to live in the present due to being weighed down by past experiences.
Carrying past mistakes or emotional attachments is compared to carrying a heavy burden that impedes progress and personal growth.
The story of the two monks serves as a metaphor for the need to let go of past transgressions and not allow them to dictate one's current state of mind.
Resentment is depicted as self-harm, akin to "drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die," highlighting the futility of holding onto negative emotions.
The present moment is described as the only time that truly matters, and the author encourages readers to shift their focus to appreciating and living in the now.

An unforgettable story about letting go

Two words which do not exist in our dictionary anymore — Let Go.

From the memories of our ex-flames to our doltish past mistakes, we carry so much of our past into our present. More often than not, we do not leave any space or scope for really living our present moments, let alone building experiences or memories for our future. We have taken the practice of “mindfulness” quite literally, haven’t we?

As we move forward, this mammoth baggage of our past only keeps getting heavier. This reminds me of one of the most insightful Zen stories about two monks and a woman.

Two monks were travelling together when they came across a river with a strong current. There, they beheld a young helpless woman attempting to cross the river. On seeing the monks, the beautiful woman approached them, and sought help to reach the other side.

The monks, befuddled, looked at each other and remembered the vow they had taken to never touch a woman.

It was a real Sophie's choice for the monk — do they help the woman or do they revere their sacred vow?

Without any ado, the senior monk picked the woman, crossed the river while carrying her, and put her down gently upon reaching the other side. The younger monk, albeit startled, did not say anything and quietly joined them in crossing the river.

As the monks moved on in their journey, hours passed and there was no sign of any communication between them. But then suddenly, the junior monk could not hold it anymore.

“Why did you carry that woman when you know as monks, we are under a vow to never touch women?”, he asked in distress.

To this, the senior monk replied, “Well, it has been hours since I put her down, why are you still carrying her?”

I keep reminding myself of this beautiful story whenever I am stuck in the labyrinth of my past. If I hold on to my past guilt, anger, resentment, or other negative emotions, I will only hurt myself and nobody else.

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. — Carrie Fisher

The present is the only tense that exists. There is a reason why it is called ‘present’, it is no less than a gift.

NOW is all we’ve got You can either sulk Or let go of your fraught Let’s give this a thought And let our minds shift To the present, our precious gift.