A student asked Master Weizhen: “Master, is man superior to animals?” Weizhen looked at him calmly and asked: “What do you call superiority? To dominate others by force?” The student startled. “No, Master. Certainly not.” Weizhen continued: “Is it superiority when humans believe they may shape the world in their own image?” The student hesitated, then said quietly: “That would be blasphemy…” Weizhen nodded. “Often humans believe they know what they are doing, yet they do not

Chan Master Bankei (Japanese: Bankei Yōtaku 盤珪永琢) taught at Ryūmon Temple. One day, a Shinshū priest appeared, who believed that salvation came through endlessly repeating the name of Buddha. He envied Bankei for his large audience and sought to argue with him. While Bankei was speaking, the priest interrupted him and began to boast loudly. “The founder of our school,” he said, "possessed such powers that he could write the entire name of Amida from one riverbank to the other

A student approached Master Weizhen and said:“Master Weizhen, surely we humans are the highest form of life.” Weizhen smiled faintly. “Is that so?” The student replied: “We have created so much. We are intelligent.” Weizhen answered calmly: “Precisely because humans believe this,they overlook the countless forms of life they do not understand.Animals live within spectrumsthat our intellect cannot grasp. Those who consider themselves superioroften see lessthan those who simply