David Given Schwarm

Once the monks of the eastern and western Zen halls in Nansen’s temple were quarrelling about a cat. As he saw this, Nansen held up the cat and said, “You monks! If one of you can say a word, I will not slay the cat.” No one could answer. Nansen cut the cat in two. Nansen told Jôshû what had happened, and asked him for his view. Jôshû thereupon took his sandals, put them upon his head and went away. Nansen said, “If you had been there, I could have spared the cat.”