What is the difference between the patient non-reaction of the Zen master and the poisonous non-reaction of repressive self-control?

Question: 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.

Question: 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? Listening to this story, you can do two things. One: you can try to be patient, as the master said to his disciple. If you try to be patient, that will be a suppression. It is not going to help. That patience is not going to be true; deep down there will be turmoil, a crowd, impatience, and on the surface you will pretend that you are patient. The second possibility is that you understand that the reaction was just a reaction, a mechanical reaction, and you become more alert.

Question: A friend has asked whether I am opposed to restraint. Once unseasonal rains fell; for five days they could not go to the forest and remained hungry. On the sixth day the sun came out; they went to cut wood. The old man walked ahead with his bundle; the old woman followed. On the path he saw hoofprints of a horse and, near the path, a bag of gold coins. Some had spilled out. A thought arose in the old man’s mind. The “self-restrained” are full of such thoughts. He thought, “My old woman walking behind might get tempted on seeing the gold.” It was his own mind that was tempted; otherwise the thought about his wife would not have arisen. But we never admit our own minds are tempted. He thought, “Let her not be tempted.” Quickly he dug a pit and covered the coins with earth.

Question: THE PRIME MINISTER, KUO TZU I, OF THE TANG DYNASTY, WAS AN OUTSTANDING STATESMAN, A DISTINGUISHED GENERAL, AND THE MOST ADMIRED NATIONAL HERO OF HIS DAY. BUT FAME, POWER, WEALTH AND SUCCESS COULD NOT DISTRACT HIM FROM HIS KEEN INTEREST AND DEVOTION TO BUDDHISM. REGARDING HIMSELF AS A PLAIN AND HUMBLE DEVOTED BUDDHIST, HE OFTEN VISITED HIS FAVORITE ZEN MASTER TO STUDY UNDER HIM. HE AND THE ZEN MASTER SEEMED TO GET ALONG VERY WELL. THE FACT THAT HE WAS THE PRIME MINISTER SEEMED TO HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON THEIR ASSOCIATION. THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE TRACE OF POLITENESS ON THE ZEN MASTER'S PART, OR OF VAIN LOFTINESS ON THE PART OF THE MINISTER; THE ASSOCIATION SEEMED TO BE THE PURELY RELIGIOUS ONE OF A REVERED MASTER AND AN OBEDIENT DISCIPLE.

Question: A ZEN STUDENT CAME TO BANKEI AND SAID: 'MASTER, I HAVE AN UNGOVERNABLE TEMPER -- HOW CAN I CURE IT?' 'SHOW ME THIS TEMPER,' SAID BANKEI, 'IT SOUNDS FASCINATING.' 'I HAVEN'T GOT IT RIGHT NOW,' SAID THE STUDENT, 'SO I CAN'T SHOW IT TO YOU.' 'WELL THEN,' SAID BANKEI, 'BRING IT TO ME WHEN YOU HAVE IT.' 'BUT I CAN'T BRING IT JUST WHEN I HAPPEN TO HAVE IT,' PROTESTED THE STUDENT. 'IT ARISES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND I WOULD SURELY LOSE IT BEFORE I GOT IT TO YOU.' 'IN THAT CASE,' SAID BANKEI, 'IT CANNOT BE PART OF YOUR TRUE NATURE. IF IT WERE, YOU COULD SHOW IT TO ME AT ANY TIME. WHEN YOU WERE BORN YOU DID NOT HAVE IT, AND YOUR PARENTS DID NOT GIVE IT TO YOU -- SO IT MUST COME INTO YOU FROM THE OUTSIDE.