Zen story: The last koan of a great Zen master determined the new master in his monastery

The dying Zen master leaves a koan for his students to solve. The one who solves it quickest will be his successor here in his monastery.

The Zen master, Zoski Zircochke, had died, and they were having a ceremonial service for him, in which his students were participating.     

One student got up to speak.

He said:

"Just before the master died, he appointed me to be his successor, but if some of you do not agree with this, he gave me this koan to give to you to solve, and which I solved for him before he died."

"If one of you can solve it by tomorrow, you will be the new master, as I took 2 days to solve it, and the master told me to give the other students this chance to solve it too, in a quicker time than which I did."

"The koan is this one:"

"If I have died, how can I be talking to you now, through another person like this still, still dictating the terms of the successor to me in this monastery?"

Another student stood up and said:

"I can answer that for you right now."

"The master did not die, because he did not die in you."

"Yes," 

said the other student, 

"The master knew that the real master would stand up, and out from the crowd, when I posed this question to the group." 

"I was master in caretaker mode only."

"You are indeed our new master. Congratulations."

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