Zen Koans Explained: "Killing"
An ant is not the size of a man. Yet can a man with no eyes build a maze? A man is not the size of an ant. Yet can an ant build, for example, an automobile factory, or a yurt? I read these things in a book.
Gasan instructed his adherents one day: "Those who speak against killing and who desire to spare the lives of all conscious beings are right. It is good to protect even animals and insects. But what about those persons who kill time, what about those who are destroying wealth, and those who destroy political economy? We should not overlook them. Furthermore, what of the one who preaches without enlightenment? He is killing Buddhism."
The enlightenment: When informed that there is no evidence that time, wealth, political economy, or Buddhism are biologically "alive," Gasan fell silent for several minutes. During that time, he was cut from the debate team.
"But I love the debate team," he said. Sorry.
