Another story of Zen origin. There's an important life lesson in this one about anger. I live by the underlying message - anger destroys the one who carries it, not the one against whom it is directed. Here goes:

A venerable guru was walking along a path that followed the river with his disciple, a younger monk who greatly respected the elder guru. They walked for miles in silence, enjoying and contemplating the bounty of nature. They came upon a beautiful young woman standing by the river's edge. She was in great distress because she couldn't get to the other side. The venerable guru went over to the woman, picked her up, carried her to the other side of the river, and gently put her down. He returned to the younger disciple and they continued on their way. The guru couldn't help but notice that the disciple was greatly agitated and clearly angry as they walked along. The younger disciple was breathing heavily, sighing loudly and walking with a heavy foot. After several miles, the guru stopped and serenely asked the younger man what the problem was. In a sudden angry outburst, the disciple said, " Why did you carry that woman across the river. You're a guru and you're forbidden by our religion to touch a female. You had no right to pick her up and take her to the other side. How could you do that! It's forbidden. You are, after all, a venerable guru and you must set an example for your disciples." Calmly the venerable guru responded, "I put her down on the other side, you're still carrying her."