Master Hakuin used to tell his students about an old woman who ran a tea shop nearby. He praised and emphasized her deep understanding of Zen. And, as a rule, the students, intrigued by his story, soon went to the store to look at the old woman.
Whenever the old woman greeted visitors, she could immediately tell whether they were coming to drink tea or to see her understanding of Zen.
In the first case, she kindly gave them tea, and in the second, in a mysterious whisper she asked them to go behind the screen. As soon as they entered there, she hit them with all her might with the poker. Nine out of ten could not avoid her blows.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru