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the thief, a little afraid.
This man -- he has never come across such a dragon -- he says, 'What do you want? -- money or my life?' And so ready to give: 'You can choose.' No condemnation, nothing of the sort. Even if he had chosen his life, Taigan would have given it.
All that has to be taken, it is better to give it. And one day or other even life will disappear -- so why worry about it? Death is coming: let this thief enjoy a moment.
'I came for money,' replied the thief, getting a little bit afraid. The master took out his purse and handed it to the man, saying, 'Here it is!' The master then returned to writing his letter as if nothing had happened.
The thief began to feel ill at ease and left the room, over-awed. 'Hey! Wait a minute!' called the master. The thief stood back, shuddering. 'Why don't you shut the door?' said the master.
Days later, the thief was captured by the police and said, 'I have been robbing for years, but I have never been so terrified as when that Buddhist master called after me, "Hey! Wait a minute!" That man is very dangerous, and I have never been able to forget him. And the day I am released from the prison, I am going to that man. I never came across such a man -- such quality! I held the naked sword in my hand, but that was nothing. He is the naked sword.'
Just these words -- 'Hey! Wait a minute!' -- and the thief said, 'I am still shuddering.'
When you come close to a master, he is going to kill you. How can you kill a master? Even if you have a naked sword, you cannot kill a master.
The master is going to kill you. And he kills in such subtle ways that you never become aware that you have been killed. You become aware only when you are reborn. Suddenly one day you are no more the same. Suddenly one day the old man is gone. Suddenly one day everything is fresh and new -- birds are singing, and new leaves are growing in you. The stagnant river is flowing again, you are moving towards the ocean.
Another story.
A Zen master had been put into jail several times.... Now a step further! These Zen people are really eccentric people, mad people -- but they do beautiful
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