Two monks were walking down a muddy road. It had rained whole day and the road at certain spots had become uncrossable.

At a  turn of a road they came across a young, delicate woman with a white silk robe. The elder monk approached her and requested her if he could lift her to the other end of the road. She agreed. And the elder monk very gracefully lifted her and dropped her to the other end at a dry edge.

The younger monk did not speak more after the small incident. The evening was falling when they reached a temple and the younger monk could not stop himself from asking:  ” We are not supposed to touch women and go near them, especially when they are young and beautiful. It is not good. Why did you do that ?”

“I left the girl there”,  replied the elder monk. ” Are you still carrying her?”