For example
"Gutei raised his finger whenever he was asked a question about Zen. A boy attendant began to imitate him in this way. When anyone asked the boy what his master had preached about, the boy would raise his finger. Gutei heard about the boy's mischief. He seized him and cut off his finger. The boy cried and ran away. "
What is the purpose of this type of story? Is it supposed to be funny, shocking, insightful, or just a time killer? I find it to be mostly useless. I read a few of them and they seemed like boring short stories.
For example "Gutei raised his finger whenever he was asked a question about Zen. A boy attendant began to imitate him in this way. When anyone asked the boy what his master had preached about, the boy would raise his finger. Gutei heard about the boy's mischief. He seized him and cut off his finger. The boy cried and ran away. "
What is the purpose of this type of story? Is it supposed to be funny, shocking, insightful, or just a time killer? I find it to be mostly useless. I read a few of them and they seemed like boring short stories.