A Beautiful Girl

A Zen Koan.

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a beautiful girl in a silk dress, unable to cross the intersection.

“Come on, girl” — said Tanzan. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. He couldn't restrain himself any longer — “We monks don’t go near females. Especially not young and lovely ones. It's dangerous. Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there” — said Tanzan

“Are you still carrying her?”