Q: what did the zen abbot say to the wandering taoist?

A: (implied by actions of his representative) "you with no name, do not exist to me, the abbot."

it is thus, as the zen community gatekeeper does not have prerogative to arrange audience with the zen abbot for "just anyone", since all visitors must be either "seekers" and sit through a session of zazen, or else they must satisfy the gatekeeper's definition of "teacher", claiming authority over others, to meet with the abbot. unfortunate indeed, that so many need to give or take in order to commune. a moment of meeting is worth a thousand titles, yet a sharing of the simple act of being together seems not enough, for some. this institutional formalism, zen-style, a nihilistic beaurocracy favouring correctness over humanity, masquerading as Dharma.