Roughly two months ago, two monks were photographed drinking alcohol and carousing with women in a public area. After these pictures appeared online, where they caused a public outcry, it was revealed that these two monks were in fact, impostors. Their deceit was uncovered after they were confronted by real monks who had grown suspicious.

After being held in jail for several days they were released, but there was a surprise still to come. It was recently announced that they had been accepted into a training program by a Buddhist master.

Upon hearing this, I, and perhaps many others, may be inclined to act as judge, jury and if necessary, executioner. A case such as this seems fairly cut and dried: two unscrupulous individuals took advantage of a religious order's good name for nefarious purposes. This line of thinking would have us believe that men such as these, motived by the basest of desires, care only for themselves and the satisfaction of their carnal desires without any consideration for whom they are harming or the damage they are causing. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the most charitable view is that these are two deluded but essentially good people, who were perhaps misled by others.

Finally, a slightly more moderate view might suppose that while they are certainly scoundrels who were taking advantage of what they saw as a vulnerable blind-spot in society, these two are not necessarily irredeemably wicked men.

What then could be meant by their later decision to enter a monastery and actually earn the robes which they had inappropriately worn previously? A cynical man might consider this as little more than an additional publicity stunt, done merely to draw more attention to themselves. A naïve man, on the other hand, might think of it as redemption from a possible life of sin, that as there is good in all of us, there is good in these two men as well. And finally, the moderate view, would dictate that these are two people who, like all of us, have made a mistake and are perhaps attempting to escape public censure any way they can, even if that involves entering a monastery.

I am not a Buddhist, nor do I pretend to be an authority on their religious teachings or doctrines, but one Buddhist principle I have come across is the concept of the Middle Path, the way that avoids all extremes. In my relatively short life I have already learned that few things are entirely one way or the other, that black and white are generally found only in books and that rare indeed is the individual that is completely bad or completely good. We are all compounds of many elements; sometimes we act selflessly, but that same person in slightly different circumstances may well surprise even him or herself with their selfishness. I do not condone what these two people did, nor do I underestimate the potential damage to the reputation of monks everywhere. I do think, however, that these two men deserve a second chance to make good. We cannot decide or even know how sincere their attempt at reform will be. We can only decide how we see these and others who make mistakes. Will we decide that one act determines a life's course? Will we see the world in black and white, or in all its chromatic glory and splendor? As for myself, I will reserve judgment. Who knows? Next time it might be me awaiting judgment at the public pillory, hoping that some at least are willing to give me the benefit of the doubt.