Many versions this story has been posted around the Web, and I've liked them so much that I put this tale into my own words.
I post this as an effort to show that I have dealt with the nuances of drooling, and that "writing off Edg's morality as simple projection and sublimination" may not be the only way to sum up my stance on the morals involving relationships. After this story, I'll post another one with a correlative theme, and then we'll see if I have in any way tempered the perception that I'm a sublimnationist without clarity. Edg TWO MONKS An ancient story. Two student monks were walking in a town, ages ago, far away. They were both handsome young men, but they were serious about becoming absolutely aware of their inner spirits. The monastery in which they lived and took instruction had very strict rules of behavior for its students. A hot rain had been falling all morning, but at last the sun had come out, and everything was glistening with a coating of pure water. The marketplace was filled with noise and bustle, and the streets were very muddy. Only under the woven thatched awnings of the storefronts of the streets were there any dry paths. They came upon a lovely lady attired in expensive clothing, holding a delicate hand painted parasol. Everything about this woman was refined and spoke of wealth and knowledge of the world and its many ways. It was obvious to the monks that she was trying to cross the road without getting her clothes dirty, but it was impossible. She stood there in a perfect moment as the sun echoed in thousands of small puddles from foot and hoof prints. Suddenly, the taller of the monks swept the woman and her beauty up in his arms and carried her safely across the road. Afterwards, they went back to their monastery rooms to meditate before the evening's rituals. As they sat down together, the shorter monk finally spoke his mind, saying, "I cannot understand your actions! We are monks! We do not go near females -- especially beautiful women who are experienced with the ways of the life that we have put behind us. That was dangerous. Why did you do that?" The taller monk settled into his meditative pose, and just before he closed his eyes, he looked at his friend, and said, "I left the girl there on the side of the street. Are you still carrying her?"
