Koan: Right and Wrong

[Brian]

When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many
parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil
was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the
request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.

Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei
disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a
petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise
they would leave in a body.

When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You
are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is
not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this
poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him
if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you
leave."

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen.
All desire to steal had vanished.

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