🚀 go-pugleaf

The pupils of the Tendai school used to study
meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of
them who were intimate friends promised one
another to observe seven days of silence.

On the first day all were silent. Their meditation
had begun auspiciously, but when night
came and the oil lamps were growing dim, one of
the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant:
``Fix those lamps.''

The second pupil was surprised to hear the
first one talk. ``We are not supposed to say
a word'', he remarked.

``You two are stupid. Why did you talk?'' asked
the third.

``I am the only one who has not talked'',
concluded the fourth pupil.

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#71 in 101 Zen Stories. Paul Reps, editor.