on forgiveness

from reallivepreacher.com's comments:

One of my favorite Buddhist stories: Two monks are returning to their local monastary after a long journey, having walked a great distance. Not far from home, they come to a swiftly moving stream. Standing on their side of the stream is a woman who asks the first monk to help her get to the other side as she is too weak to forge across by herself. The first monk replies to her entreaty: "My vows as a good monk preclude me from having any physical contact with women, and so I must refuse." The woman implores the second monk, who shrugs, picks her up and carries her safely across to the other side. As the two monks continue their walk home, the first monk speaks to the second monk: "You know I will have to report you to our master at the monastary for carrying that woman across the stream, in violation of our vows." The second monk responds: "But I set her down on the other side. It is you who are still carrying her." Perhaps when we forgive--when we set something down and by choice no longer carry it as a thing or as an idea--it is the forgiver who is receiving the cleansing, who is receiving grace.
MJS