Definitions Of 'Disciple'

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Zen master Gattan belonging to the latter part of the Tokugawa era categorized disciples into three kinds : "those who impart the Zen teachings to others, those who take care of the temples and the shrines and the third, the rice bags and the clothes-hangers"

Gasan, the Zen master had to express the same idea reverting to the teacher instead of the disciple. During his discipleship under Tekisui, his teacher exercised severity while imparting Zen. Gasan sometimes also got beaten. Other fellow pupils who could not tolerate the master's severity quit the place. But Gasan stayed on saying akin to Gattan's words : "A poor disciple makes use of a teacher's influence, a fair disciple admires the teacher's kindness and a good disciple grows strong under the teacher's discipline"