In Tokyo, during the Meiji era, there lived two famous teachers, different in character. One of them, Unto, a teacher from the Shingon school, carefully observed all the commandments of the Buddha. He never drank stimulants or ate after 11 o'clock in the morning. Another teacher, Tozan, professor of philosophy at the imperial university, never kept the precepts. He ate when he wanted, slept when he wanted, even during the day.
One day Unto visited Tozan, who at that time was drinking wine, even a drop of which the Buddhist tongue should not touch.
“Greetings, brother,” Tozan told him. - Would you like a drink?
“I never drink,” Unto said importantly.
“Whoever doesn’t drink is not even a person,” said Tozan.
“Do you really think that I’m not human just because I don’t drink poison?” - Unto exclaimed in anger. - If I am not a person, then who am I?
“Buddha,” answered Tozan.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru