I've always liked these 'the Master's wisdom' type stories.
This one is probably my favourite, feel free to add any you like!

Taoist.


The master and a young acolyte were walking through the mountains.  They walked in silence, as was the custom of their order until they came upon a stream crossing the path.  Beside the stream was a handsome young woman, she asked the master for help as the stream was too fast flowing for her to safely walk across.  Without hesitation, and to the astonishment of his acolyte, the master picked up the woman and carried her across the stream.  On the other side, the young woman thanked the master and he and the acolyte continued on their journey.  After a few miles of walking, the acolyte broke the silence, "Master" he said, "I must ask you a question.  You know our order forbids contact with the opposite sex, how is it that you could bring yourself to carry that young woman".  "My son" said the master, "are you still carrying her?"

Hmmmm... as with all these type of stories, I'm left wondering about what the point is.  
I think what we are meant to get from this is the master carried the woman for a brief moment, but the acolyte carried her for a much longer length of time.

First, the acolyte did say 'our order forbids contact', not carrying.  The Master's changing it to carrying allows the double entendre (carrying a girl physically, carrying an unresolved problem in your mind) to work.  It's a trick of the language, and not a flaw in behavior, that carries the point.

Sorry, I always take the acolyte's side in these stories.