Imitation of the Sages and Defending and Breaking Away
In consult a wise man it was spoken that one can earn the reputation of being wise by consulting and imitating what a wise man answered and speaking in front of a large crowd. Level 0: You remember incorrectly or forget some of what the wise man said. You have not mastered the defensive skills of "Shori-ba-ri" (break and separate).
Level 1: The student is able to remember everything the wise man said and speak exactly as he said it. However, because he only remembers what was said, he is unable to answer new questions. He is only able to defend the "defensive" part of the "defensive" line.
Level 2: One remembers not only what one sage X said about one subject, but also what was said about other sages and other subjects. In this case, when asked a question about what X did not say, one can answer using the words of another sage. This is the stage where the breaking of the defensive break has been completed.
Level 3: As a result of sufficient progress in Level 2 training, one is able to say what no sage has said. Thus, one is able to create new wisdom and become a new sage. This is the stage in which the "separating" stage of the "defending" and "breaking" stages has been completed.
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