To another student, to whom I had given a kung-an, I said, "If you give me the same answer as last year, I'm going to give you a beating." Last year, I held up the incense board and asked her, "What is this?" She had answered, "An incense board." This year, sure enough, she gave me the same answer, so I hit her. At the next interview, I held up the incense board again, and asked her, "What is this?" This time she was hesitant and afraid. She thought for a while and said, "It's Buddha nature." Hearing this, I just hit her with the stick.

Common sense says it is an incense board. From that point of view she was correct the first time. From the Buddhist point of view, to say it is Buddha-nature is also correct. However, her answers did not come spontaneously from her practice, and she deserved a beating.

Another student, after working hard for a few days, came in for an interview. I picked up a wild flower and asked him, "What is this?" He answered, "A flower." "What color is it?" "Yellow." I gave him a beating, and he became very resentful, saying that it was indeed a yellow flower. So I hit him again, and said, "This is neither a flower nor yellow." After working hard for another day and a half without sleep, he came in for another interview. This time I held up a dry twig. He took the twig from me then handed it back, saying, "I have nothing to say." I said, "Make three prostrations, " thus indicating to him that he had achieved a level of comprehension.

These are living kung-ans, as distinct from the classical sayings that have been handed down. Some may understand the meaning behind the actions. To others they may just appear crazy and nonsensical. However, a student should not hope that he can pretend to be crazy and get my approval. There's really no way to pretend. If you try to, as soon as you come in, I'll chase you out. A while back a student came to see me. Looking me boldly in the eye, he said, "Test me." Again, I just looked at him and he lowered his head. I told him, "You have courage but you're lazy. You'll have to work a lot harder to enter the door."