仙崖禪師的禪院裡，有一位學僧經常在晚上偷偷爬過院牆到外面遊樂。這一天，禪師夜裡巡寮時，發現牆角有一張高腳凳，才知道有人溜到外面去。他沒有驚動別人，只是把凳子移開，自己站在原先放凳子的地方。
夜歸的學僧，不知凳子已移走，一跨腳就踩在禪師頭上，隨即跳下地來。一看，竟是禪師，慌得不知如何是好。禪師毫不介意，安慰他：「夜深露重，小心不要著涼，趕快回去多穿一件衣服。」全寺大眾沒有人知道這件事，禪師也從未提起，但自此以後，全寺一百多個學僧，再也沒有人出去夜遊了。
最好的教育是愛的教育，以鼓勵代替責備，以關懷代替處罰。禪門的教育，向來以慈悲方便為原則，就算棒喝、磨鍊，也要看被教育者的根機，才以大慈悲大方便相待。

A student monk of Zen Master Sengai’s monastery frequently crept over the wall by night to enjoy a bit of fun. One night, when Master Sengai was making his rounds, he came upon a high stool by the corner of the wall. He realized at once that someone had sneaked away. Quietly, he removed the stool and stood in its place. And then he waited.
Later the offender returned, climbed the wall, stepped onto the master’s head, and hopped to the ground. When he saw what he had done, he was scared and could not speak. But Zen Master Sengai, not minding in the least, comforted him, saying, “The night is deep and heavy with dew. Take care not to catch cold! Hurry back and put on some more clothes.”
No one else in the entire monastery knew of this incident, and Zen Master Sengai never mentioned it. From then on, not one of the monastery’s more than one hundred student monks ever wandered out at night again.
This incident shows us that the best kind of education is rooted in love, and uses encouragement instead of reproach, consideration instead of punishment. But the principles of Chan education also embrace skillful means. Hence, we must judge whether some students would be served best by blows and shouts, and by strict discipline.

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