How should one respond to an impulse to harm someone in defense of a master?

If one is in the situation of muso's disciple -- wishing to terminate a samurai for daring to assault the master -- should one do it with concrete totality, and meditate after- wards, or suppress the ego-based impulse, or is there a third alternative?

The first thing, and the most basic to be understood, is that whatsoever you do, it should not be a reaction. If it is an act then there is no problem. If Muso's disciple had acted out of his spontaneity, Muso would have certainly blessed him, but he started saying, that he would like to do this, he cannot allow this man to live any more, he has insulted his master.... If he had acted rather than brooding about it, rather than bringing the mind in; if he had acted with no-mind, the master would have certainly blessed him. Action is always good; reaction always bad. So try first to understand this term 'reaction'. It means you are acting unconsciously. Somebody is manipulating you. Somebody says something, does something, and you react. The real master of the situation is somebody else. Somebody comes and insults you and you react, you…

Beloved master, in the west we are constantly drilled with the aphorism: don't just stand there -- do something! Yet, buddha would say: don't just do something -- stand there! The unconscious man reacts while the wise man watches. But what about spontaneity? Is spontaneity compatible with watching?

And you act according to others' manipulations. This is not real action. Buddha was passing through a village and the people came and they insulted him. And they used all the insulting words that they could use -- all the four-letter words that they knew. Buddha stood there, listened silently, very attentively, and then said, "Thank you for coming to me, but I am in a hurry. I have to reach the next village, people will be waiting for me there. I cannot devote more time to you today, but tomorrow coming back I will have more time. You can gather again, and tomorrow if something is left which you wanted to say and have not been able to say, you can say it to me. But today, excuse me." Those people could not believe their ears, their eyes: this man has remained utterly unaffected, undistracted. One of them asked,…

Could you please talk about the difference between the patient non-reaction of the zen master and the poisonous non-reaction of repressive self-control?

There is the key. Nothing has to be done -- just awareness does everything for you. And of course, then you are patient. Not that you have controlled your anger. You are patient because you are so happy. You are patient because your anger is transformed into compassion. You are patient because your hatred has become love. You are patient because your greed has become a sharing. You are patient because now you are enjoying life at its peak. Who bothers what others say? One is not concerned at all. A zen master was going to his temple after his morning walk with his disciple. A man came, hit him hard on the back with a staff, and ran away. The master did not even look back; he continued his walk. The disciple could not believe it. He said, 'What is the matter with you? Are you mad? The man…

Is jesus' 'offer the other cheek' attitude applicable for us today here in poona, or should we meet the force offered to us with force -- or should we respond as we feel befits the situation?

No, I don't give you any dogma, I don't give you any formula to live up to, because all formulas are false, all formulas are dead, all formulas create a structure around you and that structure becomes by and by your imprisonment. I don't give you any formula, not even the Jesus formula. I want you to be understanding, alert, aware. Let that be your only source of action. Sometimes maybe it is good to offer the other cheek, but only sometimes. It is relative. Sometimes it is better to hit hard, but that too sometimes, and one can never predict. You have to watch the whole situation of a certain moment and live with total response. If you carry a formula you will not be free. I have heard an anecdote. A Christian saint who used to follow Jesus' sayings word for word, literally, was hit hard by an…

Question: A MASTER GIVES UP MISCHIEF. HE IS SERENE. HE LEAVES EVERYTHING BEHIND HIM. HE DOES NOT TAKE OFFENSE AND HE DOES NOT GIVE IT. HE NEVER RETURNS EVIL FOR EVIL. ALAS FOR THE MAN WHO RAISES HIS HAND AGAINST ANOTHER, AND EVEN MORE FOR HIM WHO RETURNS THE BLOW. RESIST THE PLEASURES OF LIFE AND THE DESIRE TO HURT -- TILL SORROWS VANISH. NEVER OFFEND BY WHAT YOU THINK OR SAY OR DO. HONOR THE MAN WHO IS AWAKE AND SHOWS YOU THE WAY. HONOR THE FIRE OF HIS SACRIFICE. MATTED HAIR OR FAMILY OR CASTE DO NOT MAKE A MASTER BUT THE TRUTH AND GOODNESS WITH WHICH HE IS BLESSED. YOUR HAIR IS TANGLED AND YOU SIT ON A DEERSKIN. WHAT FOLLY! WHEN INSIDE YOU ARE RAGGED WITH LUST. THE MASTER'S CLOTHES ARE IN TATTERS. When you feel insulted you have participated with the person.