Second Place winner, BabyMonkey in Clyde's Corner Contest on 05/28/06
When Bankei held a seclusion-week of meditation, student from many kingdom came to attend. During one of these gatherings a student was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei, request that the culprit be remove. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the same student was casught in a similar act, and once again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other students, they drew up a petition, asking for the dismissal of the thief. Otherwise they would all leave.
When bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise borthers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is wrong. You may go somewhere else to study if you 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 the rest of you leave."
A mass of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal are now gone.
-my comment-
Just because one is wrong, you can't just throw them out and expect them to change. One need to know what is wrong before they can make it right. Instead of telling them what is right, they got to know what is wrong. If you taught them,they may not learn everything, but if you give up on teaching them, they knowledge nothing. Not everything can be taught through words.
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