Driven to despair by his fruitless attempts to understand the Universe, the sage Devadasa finally announced in exasperation :
ALL STATEMENTS THAT CONTAIN THE WORD GOD ARE FALSE
instantly, his least-favorite disciple Somasiri replied: "the sentence I am now speaking contains the word God. I fail to see, Oh Noble Master, how that simple statement can be false."
Devadasa considered the matter for several Poyas. Then he answered, this time with apparent satisfaction :
ONLY STATEMENTS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN THE WORD GOD CAN BE TRUE
After a pause barely sufficient for a starving mongoose to swallow a millet seed, Somasiri replied : "if this statement applies to itself, Oh Venerable One, it cannot be true, because it contains the word God. But if it is not true-"
At this point, Devadasa broke his begging-bowl upon Somasiri's head, and should therefore be honoured as the true founder of Zen.