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a Master. It is impossible. He has no ego. How can you debate with a Master? You have the ego, hence the idea of debate -- debate is a kind of wrestling, a very sophisticated wrestling, fighting. It is nothing but violence in a very civilized form.
"HEY, ZEN MASTER!" HE CALLED OUT. "WAIT A MINUTE. WHOEVER RESPECTS YOU WILL OBEY WHAT YOU SAY, BUT A MAN LIKE MYSELF DOES NOT RESPECT YOU. CAN YOU MAKE ME OBEY YOU?"
"COME UP BESIDE ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU," SAID BANKEI.
Now, a Master is more interested in showing than in saying anything. He makes gestures to convey. With great love he must have said, "Come up beside me, come up close. Come up just on my level." That is the meaning of 'beside me'.
The priest is angered. He says, "Hey, Zen Master! Wait a minute." And the Master is speaking, and just in the middle he has interfered. "Whoever respects you will obey what you say, that's okay. But I don't respect you. Can you make me obey too?"
Now the Master does not argue. He creates a situation, he devises a method. It is immediate, not a single moment is lost. He responds.
"COME UP BESIDE ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU," SAID BANKEI.
PROUDLY THE PRIEST PUSHED HIS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD TO THE TEACHER.
BANKEI SMILED....
When a Master smiles at you, beware. He has thrown the trap, you will be caught sooner or later. People are caught in smiles.
BANKEI SMILED. "COME OVER TO MY LEFT SIDE," HE SAID....
So polite, so courteous. And Zen Masters are not like that at all. But in the beginning every Master is very courteous, very polite. Once you are caught he starts beating you, because only then will you understand his compassion.
"COME OVER TO MY LEFT SIDE."
And the priest is completely unaware of what is happening. Because he had never thought! He was waiting for an argument. He had come ready, prepared. He must have been rehearsing for many days and many nights. He must have prepared his whole talk -- what it is he is going to say to the Zen Master, and how he is going to argue against him. Now he is completely unaware, he is preoccupied. Preoccupation creates unawareness. He is preoccupied, he
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