The Monk and Burden

In the pristine Green hills of Himalayas lied a monastery famous for its Monks and their teachings. The monks lived an ascetic life and gathered their necessities from mother nature the river. On One such day, a group of monks, led by the venerable Meesho, embarked on a journey to gather necessities from across the river. Among them was Gyanesh, an apprentice monk, who had devoted himself to the monastic life. They traversed the mountains and moved across the forest appreciating the beauty of all that mother nature had given. Time passed by until one of them spotted a distressed woman standing across the shore and trying to cross the river. Every time she put her right foot forward and suddenly took it back with the touch of water- clearly she was afraid of crossing the river on her own.

Looking at the group and with a heart full of hope she cried- Dear Monks ! Can you please take me across the river; I have to reach the other side but I am too afraid to step in. Gyanesh, steadfast in his beliefs, hesitated, citing the monastic vow of not touching women and passed on.

However, Meesho smiled and said curtly- Climb on my back dear sister, I'll drop you to other side. This was completely against what Gyanesh had learnt and certainly not expected. The journey continued, with Gyanesh struggling to reconcile his thoughts. All the while he kept quiet , fighting against his will to question Meesho's choice and also trying not to show his despair. At the end of journey , he couldn't resist but ask Meesho of how could he do something which all teachings prohibit.

Meesho smiled with a profound response, "I dropped the woman across the Ford, seems You are still carrying her "

The story is not just about The Letter and Spirit of Law , of how we interpret the teachings of any Guru / scripture ; It is not about the fact that the Guru chose to help yet remained true to the spirit of his teaching- It is also about the burdens that we carry. The burden of perceptions, the weight of comparisons , grief , guilt and what not! In the entire journey when we are pre occupied with our thoughts and perceptions, Life keeps moving and we keep missing the beauty by our sides !

Genie Says : Choose your thoughts wisely, for they have the power to uplift or burden you.