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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.