An Old Zen Story About Crossing The River

This is  an old Zen story. Once upon a time there was a master who was responsible for the education of his two young pupils. Both were very good students, selfless and disciplined. They both wanted to develop and become Zen masters themselves. Every day they did everything they could to make this happen.

The master mainly tried to teach them the idea of ​​detachment. In Zen philosophy, attachment is the main source of suffering. Detachment, living and letting others live are the main objectives of this philosophy. The road to detachment is the road to peace. That is an essential part of being happy.

This is a Zen story that tells us how two young students tried in every possible way to become less and less dependent on people and things.

They only ate what was necessary. They even fasted on certain days. They did it happily. Their clothes were simple. They had austere rooms and beds. None of these things seemed to be a sacrifice to them as they tried to improve themselves.

A walk to the river changes everything

One day the master asked his two disciples to accompany him to a nearby village. They went to bring food to the village which was very poor. The story goes that both students accepted his invitation with great enthusiasm. They even offered to carry very heavy baskets on the way to the village.

When they arrived in the village, they humbly gave away the food. They felt happy that they could be of service to others.

When the time came to return home, the Zen master asked them to walk through a forest near the monastery.

It was still early. All three took in the beauty of the flowers, the sky, and the animals. In addition, there was a river nearby. What could bring them more happiness than to drink the crystal-clear water from the river?

For a long time they walked together in complete silence. They enjoyed the sun and the wind on their faces. They smelled the plants and heard the birds chirping. After a while they came to a river. They could not have imagined what they would find there: a beautiful woman smiling at them.

The Zen story takes an unexpected turn

The two young monks were struck by the strange woman’s beauty. She was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. Both men became very nervous and started to walk. Slow at first, then faster. They fell and tripped. They completely forgot what they were doing and only had eyes for her.

Seeing how nervous they were, the woman smiled flirtatiously at them. Then she asked them in a seductive voice if they could help her cross the river.

One of the young men rushed to help her. The woman looked at him suggestively and he took her in his arms. The young monk smiled. Then he crossed the river and set her down on the bank on the other side. Then he returned to the place where he had left his master and the other monk.

The master looked carefully at his young pupil. They then continued on their way. The other monk waited, curious to see what would happen. He looked at his master and his companion. Then he pursed his lips but said nothing. In silence they arrived at the monastery.

An old Zen story with a lesson

How can an old Zen story be a lesson for us too? The days passed and the monk was still waiting. He did not understand why his master had not said anything about his companion’s inappropriate behavior.

How could the other monk have given in to the woman’s charms and helped her right in front of his master? He got angry just thinking about it.

The other monk was calm. He went about his usual routine and didn’t even notice his fellow student’s anger. His relationship with the master was the same as before. Neither of them ever mentioned what had happened to the beautiful woman.

His companion’s anger, however, began to rage. One day he decided he couldn’t bear it any longer. He went to complain to his master.

“How is it possible that you have not said anything to him, even though he has left you on the bank of the river to flirt with that strange woman? Aren’t you going to say anything to him? Why don’t you scold him for his selfishness and disrespect? Why don’t you punish him for giving in to his lust?” said the monk to his master.

The master sat in silence for a while, looking at his pupil. Then he said something the monk would never forget:  “Your companion lifted the woman, helped her to cross the river, and left her there. You have not even managed to detach from anything. Not his, not hers, not the river.”