When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many
parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was
caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that
the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again bankei
disregarded the matter. this angered the other pupils, who drew up a
petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise
they woudl leave in a body.
When bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You
are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not
right. You may somewhere else to study if ou wish, but this poor brother
does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am
going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All
desire to steal had vanished.
