The lost monk.
This is what those who knew the monk told the generations that followed. The monk Yinang lived all by himself in the mountains. He prayed and prayed and only prayed. When the stomach pinched, he ate and when the throat was parched, he drank water of herbal extracts. The mountains were his domain. He knew them like the back of his hand. Yinang went down to the plains once in a fortnight to see what the kind-hearted had for him, from their bounty.
His trips to the plains were not easy on him. He was not very young and his legs ached. The journey was long and tiring. He left in the morning and returned after dusk. Yinang’s cave was always lit by candles, but on the days when he went to the plains, he returned to darkness. He desperately needed to do something that could make these trips more endurable.
His next trip to the plains was fruitful. The market place had on offer a horse from the monastery nearby. The animal was not very healthy or young, but stood sturdy enough for Yinang. He had nothing to offer in exchange for the animal, but the man who held the reins was content to accept the sack of rice that Yinang had received from a kind farmer. However, Yinang wanted to know if the horse was holy in any way, after staying with the monks for so many years. The man showed no surprise; instead he was eager to share information about the animal. The horse followed special commands to trot, canter, gallop and stop.
The man revealed that the command ‘Thank God’ when whispered in the animal’s ears, caused the animal to trot, while ‘Thank God, Thank God’ caused the animal to canter. The same command whispered thrice induced the animal to gallop, while ‘Amen’ made the horse stand still! The animal was holy enough for Yinang. He readily exchanged the bag of rice for the animal and returned to his cave.
The next day, Yinang saddled the animal with the animal skin he had in the cave and mounted the animal, to try the commands out. He whispered ‘Thank God’ into the animal’s ears and the animal began to walk and then trot. After a while, Yinang gave the command twice and the animal began to canter. Excited, Yinang pronounced the command thrice and was enthralled as the animal galloped against the cold wind.
However, in all the excitement, Yinang forgot the cliff ahead. The horse kept galloping and when realization did dawn, the edge was a furlong away. At that crucial moment, Yinang forgot the command to stop the animal. Sensing the impending danger, Yinang prayed and then as if by a miracle, Yinang said ‘Amen’ loud. The horse stopped even as the rocks rolled off the cliff. Yinang deep breath and said to himself, ‘Thank God’. The horse obeyed and the gratitude cost Yinang his life.
The people of the plains still speak of Yinang and wonder what happened to the holy man with the holy horse. Some say that they can still the see the candles flicker on dark nights, while others swear by the sight of Yinang on the horse coming onto the plains every fortnight. The lost monk Yinang and the mystery that shrouds his appearances are just as enthralling as the stories of people who remember a wounded Yinang leaving the mountains forever!
This is what those who knew the monk told the generations that followed. The monk Yinang lived all by himself in the mountains. He prayed and prayed and only prayed. When the stomach pinched, he ate and when the throat was parched, he drank water of herbal extracts. The mountains were his domain. He knew them like the back of his hand. Yinang went down to the plains once in a fortnight to see what the kind-hearted had for him, from their bounty.
His trips to the plains were not easy on him. He was not very young and his legs ached. The journey was long and tiring. He left in the morning and returned after dusk. Yinang’s cave was always lit by candles, but on the days when he went to the plains, he returned to darkness. He desperately needed to do something that could make these trips more endurable.
His next trip to the plains was fruitful. The market place had on offer a horse from the monastery nearby. The animal was not very healthy or young, but stood sturdy enough for Yinang. He had nothing to offer in exchange for the animal, but the man who held the reins was content to accept the sack of rice that Yinang had received from a kind farmer. However, Yinang wanted to know if the horse was holy in any way, after staying with the monks for so many years. The man showed no surprise; instead he was eager to share information about the animal. The horse followed special commands to trot, canter, gallop and stop.
The man revealed that the command ‘Thank God’ when whispered in the animal’s ears, caused the animal to trot, while ‘Thank God, Thank God’ caused the animal to canter. The same command whispered thrice induced the animal to gallop, while ‘Amen’ made the horse stand still! The animal was holy enough for Yinang. He readily exchanged the bag of rice for the animal and returned to his cave.
The next day, Yinang saddled the animal with the animal skin he had in the cave and mounted the animal, to try the commands out. He whispered ‘Thank God’ into the animal’s ears and the animal began to walk and then trot. After a while, Yinang gave the command twice and the animal began to canter. Excited, Yinang pronounced the command thrice and was enthralled as the animal galloped against the cold wind.
However, in all the excitement, Yinang forgot the cliff ahead. The horse kept galloping and when realization did dawn, the edge was a furlong away. At that crucial moment, Yinang forgot the command to stop the animal. Sensing the impending danger, Yinang prayed and then as if by a miracle, Yinang said ‘Amen’ loud. The horse stopped even as the rocks rolled off the cliff. Yinang deep breath and said to himself, ‘Thank God’. The horse obeyed and the gratitude cost Yinang his life.
The people of the plains still speak of Yinang and wonder what happened to the holy man with the holy horse. Some say that they can still the see the candles flicker on dark nights, while others swear by the sight of Yinang on the horse coming onto the plains every fortnight. The lost monk Yinang and the mystery that shrouds his appearances are just as enthralling as the stories of people who remember a wounded Yinang leaving the mountains forever!
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