“Ethics is closer to wisdom than reason”
Francisco Varela
Two monks were travelling together and came across a beautiful young woman standing by the side of a puddle. The woman was dressed in fine clothes and seemed hesitant to cross the puddle for fear of soiling her garments. Without hesitation, the senior monk approached the woman, lifted her up, and carried her across the puddle, placing her gently on the other side. The woman thanked the monk, and the two monks continued on their journey.
Several hours later, the junior monk, unable to contain himself any longer, exclaimed loudly that the senior monk had violated the monastic code by touching a woman. The older monk replied, “I put the woman down hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?”
The younger monk might have had a greater knowledge of the scriptures and even memorized more texts than the older monk. However, when confronted with a moral decision, he was powerless. The older monk’s wisdom is distinct; he understands the monastic code so thoroughly that he knows when it’s appropriate to transcend it. Words should serve our higher sensibilities; they should not bind us to their literality. Reality is too alive and too dynamic for dead words to capture it fully. Nevertheless, we love and rely on our words. Yet, if all human knowledge were…
