One day, the Mindless Guru and his disciple Sramanera (Sramanera means a junior or young monk) had to go to a certain place to teach the dharma. On the way, they came across a stream. It had just stopped raining. Although the water in the stream was still shallow, the surrounding area was wet and muddy.
Both Guru and disciple were just about to cross the stream when they saw a pretty young lady coming towards them. She was dressed in the latest fashion. Although she looked like she was in a hurry with some very important business to attend to, she hesitated by the side of the stream and did not move forward.
That very moment, the Mindless Guru approached the lady and said, “Come over here, Miss! My disciple is young and strong, I shall ask him to carry you across the stream.” All of a sudden, the disciple daringly argued, “Master, you always teach us ‘to avoid a woman’s charms’, why do you ask me to carry her across the stream today?”
The Mindless Guru sighed and said, “In that case, I shall carry her across myself. I am just worried that I may not be strong enough and slip into the stream!” The disciple followed closely behind his Guru without uttering a single word, he was puzzled and confused. Although he did not understand, he did not dare to show his feelings at the time, in case his Guru might slip and injure himself. He remained silently unhappy.
Some time later, the disciple was still puzzling over what had happened and could resist no longer. He approached his Guru and asked, “Master, we must ‘avoid a woman’s charms’, so I don’t understand why Master carried that pretty lady across the stream that day? What was it like carrying her on your back?”
Having heard this, the Guru said in disbelief：
“Firstly, as for carrying the maiden across the stream, I put her down a long time ago! I have already ‘let go’ that incident! I have never thought of that, even up until now, you still bear the lady in your heart!
Secondly, when I was carrying the maiden, all I was concerned about was not to cause harm to any sentient being, and that I must not slip and fall under any circumstances. I did not harbour any deviant thoughts, so obviously I did not feel anything.
Thirdly, it was you who failed to obey Master’s instructions to carry the maiden across the stream. Instead, I ended up carrying her for you! If I did slip and fall, could you take that responsibility?
Fourthly, you are now interrogating me about the rule ‘to avoid a woman’s charms’, but please remember that it was me who taught you this rule, so how could I forget!
Lastly, on that particular day I was not teaching you through ‘speech’, but I was trying to teach you through ‘deed’. This enables you to experience and understand two principles: ‘Not to be stubborn’ and ‘When matters are over and circumstances have changed, leave no traces in your heart’. ”
