A Zen Story: If I don’t teach, then who will? 我不教誰教

Calm does not resist danger. It transforms it.

Zen stories are not always gentle or quiet. Sometimes they appear right in the middle of fear, when the heart is tested without warning. This story of Master Qili shows how calm and kindness can meet danger directly, and how a single moment of clear presence can change the direction of a life.

One night, Master Qili was reciting a scripture when a robber suddenly burst in, holding a sharp knife. “Give me your money,” he threatened. “If you don’t, I won’t be gentle.”

Without turning around, the master replied calmly, “Don’t interrupt me. The money is in that drawer. Take it yourself.”

He continued reciting as if nothing had happened.

The robber found the money. As he was about to leave, Master Qili spoke again. “Don’t take all of it. Leave some for me to pay my taxes.”

The robber actually did so. He left some money behind and turned to go. Just then, the master called out once more. “If you take something from someone, you should at least say thank you.”

The robber stopped. He turned back and said, “Thank you,” then left.

A few days later, the man was caught. When Master Qili was asked to give testimony, he said, “This man is not a robber. I gave him the money, and he thanked me for it.”

After the man finished serving his sentence, he went straight to Master Qili. He bowed deeply and asked to be taken on as a student.

有一天晚上，正在誦經，忽然有一個強盜闖進來，手拿一把尖刀逼他：「把錢拿出來，不然就對你不客氣了。」「別打擾我！錢在那抽屜裡，你自己去拿。」說罷繼續誦經。

那強盜找到了錢，七里禪師朝著化說：「不要通通拿走，留一些給我付稅。」

那強盜真的留了一些錢後，拔腿就走。此時七里禪師又叫住他：「收了人家的禮物，應該說聲謝謝啊！」

那強盜從沒遇過這麼好的失主，於是便說了「謝謝」就走了。

幾天後，這強盜被捕了，禪師被召去作證時，便說：「此人不是強盜，錢是我給他的，他也已經謝過我了。」

此人服刑滿期後，立即來叩見七里禪師，求七里禪師收他為徒。

佛祖有四弘願：眾生無邊誓願度，煩惱無盡誓願斷，法門無量誓願學，佛道無上誓願成。參禪者，要以廣度眾生為目的，正因如此，禪師們時時不忘普渡眾生的機會。

Here is the link to other Zen stories.