Talking to confused people

“Wouldn't that be something? A Zen Master who says things just as they are?” Soryu asked during one of the exhortations. “But this is the case for true Zen Masters, even if it isn’t true for most Zen teachers today, including most of those who say they are Zen Masters.”

A retreat participant had asked a question. Soryu responded with the answer that a Zen Master gave to the same question. The person asking said they did not understand, that they were confused by the answer.

“In fact, Zen Masters say things exactly as they are. This is the amazing thing about their answers. There is nothing confusing about it. You are confused because of your own confusion. Teachers from most traditions often speak in a confused way to confused students in order to make them believe they understand. If the teachers were to speak in a clear way, the students would be confused. So you should work and work to achieve this clarity - and you will realize that the answer was perfectly clear.”