The sage does not seek students.
Neither does he avoid them.
One who seeks students
needs something from them.
One who avoids them ignores their need.
When students appear,
the sage is happy to teach.
When students are absent,
the sage is happy to be.
The sage is available but not insistent.
He serves but does not strive.
If the student does not seek the teacher,
he must think he already knows.
One who thinks he already knows
is a hopeless case.