Meeting Students

One day, while talking with his monks, Sansho remarked, "When a student comes, I go out and meet him with no purpose of helping him." When Koge heard of this remark, he commented, "When a student comes, I do not often go out to meet him, but if I do, I will surely help him."

Sansho and Koge were both disciples of Rinzai, founder of the Rinzai school of Zen. They here take exactly opposite positions, but their meaning is the same. Sansho claims that he goes out to meet students with no predetermination to teach. Koge says let the student come to him, and he will surely try to teach. Each one's way of teaching is true, unique.