Burden - A Buddhist Story

One fine evening, two monks were returning to their monastery. It had rained all day and there were puddles of water all along the road sides. At one place, they saw a beautiful young woman standing by the roadside, unable to move ahead because of a puddle of water in her way. The elder of the two monks went up to a her, lifted her in his arms and carried her across. He left her on the other side of the road, and the two monks continued towards the monastery.

When the reached the monastery, the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered "Yes, brother".
The young monk paused a bit and then asked, " but then Sir, how is it that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and replied "I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her"