I first heard this story from Mu Deung Sunim, who later became a Zen Master. Someone asked him if murder was ever justifiable. Mu Deung responded, "A madman came to a restaurant in San Francisco with a machine gun and began mowing people down. A minister happened upon the scene and was horrified but remembered the commandment, 'Thou shalt not kill,' so he did nothing. A priest then happened upon the scene and was horrified but thought of a sermon in which a bishop had said, 'every life is precious,' so he did nothing. Finally, a zen monk happened upon the scene and did not think at all. He saw what was happening, grabbed a knife off of a nearby table, ran up, and cut the madman's head off. After Mu Deung told this story, everyone in the room remained silent. After several minutes, he said with slow deliberateness, "Thinking is not necessary for correct action."
