There once was a sage who was looking for an enlightened master to learn from. An elder in the village said; "Go to the next town and find so-and-so. He is truly a master who is with the Way."
So the sage went to the next town, and found the man wearing tattered clothes, filthy, no shoes. He returned to the elder and said 'how can this be the enlightened man you sent me to find? His clothes were a mess!"
The elder assured him that this indeed was the man, and told him to return again.
So the sage returned the next day, and this time found the man sleeping in the mud with the pigs and dogs. He returned to the elder and said 'how can this be the enlightened man you sent me to find? He was sleeping in the mud like an animal!"
The elder assured him that this indeed was the man, and told him to return again.
So the sage returned the next day, only to find the man completely drunken, spitting profanities and pissing in the streets. But this time he approached me man and asked him; "An elder in my town says that you have found the Way. If this is true, why do you behave this way?"
The Master replied: "I behave this way to keep sages like you from bothering me!"