It was getting late, and four young
monks who were travelling the countryside decided that they should rest for evening. They found a suitable place to
camp, and built a
fire because it was getting cold.
The four
monks then decided to settle down and meditate in silence before going to sleep, like they did every night.
As the
evening progressed, the fire started dying down and the winds began to pick up.
"
Oh no! The fire is about to go out!" said the first monk.
"We are supposed to
meditate in silence!" said the second monk.
"Will you
be quiet!" said the third monk.
"Ha! I am the only one who did not talk!" said the fourth monk.
Note: This is not an official version by any means, this is what I remember after hearing the story from a friend. So small details here and there may be off. One
noder I spoke to remembers the
campfire being a
candle. But the general gist of it is still here.
Comments: The thing that I enjoy most about this story is that while all four of the monks speaks up, each speaks up for different reasons.
The first monk speaks because he/she is
preoccupied with the
physical world.
The second monk is too worried about the
rule to remember the
spirit of the rule.
The third monk is overtaken by his
emotions.
And the fourth one is too involved in his/her
self.