Leadership story: The wise teacher's test of integrity

Once upon a time on the outskirts of a big city in Japan, there stood an old temple. From a young age, boys who wanted to study Buddhism would come to live in the temple and learn from the master teacher, a wise and respected Buddhist monk. One day, the Buddhist monk decided to teach his young students a lesson about integrity. He gathered them around him and spoke, explaining that he was growing old and slow and could no longer provide for the needs of the temple as he once did. He told them that he had not yet taught them to work for money, and so he could only think of one thing that might keep their school from closing. The students leaned in, their eyes wide with curiosity. The master continued, saying that the nearby city was full of wealthy people who had more money in their purses than they could ever need. He instructed them to go into the city and follow these rich people as they walked through crowded streets or deserted alleyways. “When no one is looking, and only when no one is looking, you must steal their purses from them. That way, we will have enough money to keep our school alive,” he declared.

The boys gasped, looking at one another in disbelief. They had been taught that stealing was wrong. “But Master,” they protested, “you have always taught us that it is wrong to take anything that does not belong to us.” The old monk nodded. “Yes, indeed I have. It would be wrong to steal if it were not absolutely necessary. And remember, you must not be seen! If anyone can see you, you must not steal! Do you understand?” The boys exchanged nervous glances. Could their beloved teacher truly be asking them to betray their integrity? His eyes shone with an intensity they had never seen before. Hesitantly, they nodded and murmured their agreement. “Good,” the master said. “Now go, and remember, you must not be seen!” Slowly, the boys got up and began to file out of the temple. The old monk watched them leave, his face unreadable.

But as he turned back inside, he noticed that one student remained standing quietly in the corner. “Why did you not go with the others?” he asked. “Do you not want to help save our temple?” “I do, Master,” the boy said softly. “But you said that we had to steal without being seen. I know that there is no place on Earth where I would not be seen, for I would always see myself.” The old monk’s face broke into a smile. “Excellent!” he exclaimed. “That is the lesson I hoped my students would learn. But you were the only one who saw it so clearly. Now, quickly, run and tell your friends to return to the temple before they get us into trouble.” The boy hurried out to where his friends were gathered just out of sight, whispering nervously among themselves, uncertain of what to do. When he told them what had happened, they realized their mistake and rushed back to the temple.

When they arrived, the master praised the young boy for understanding the true meaning of integrity. He then reminded them all that true honesty is not about what others see but about what we know in our own hearts. The students never forgot this lesson, and from that day on, they carried the wisdom of their master with them in everything they did.