Acharya Prashant discusses a Zen story involving the monk Josho and a hermit to explain the essence of Zen as a non-reactionary way of living. In the story, Josho asks the hermit if he has any Zen, and the hermit responds by raising his fist. Initially, Josho dismisses this as shallow, viewing it as a mere reaction to his provocation. However, when Josho returns days later and asks the same question, the hermit raises his fist again. This consistency proves that the hermit's response was not a reaction to the previous insult or the current situation, but an intrinsic expression of his nature. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that an ordinary person would have changed their response to avoid further insult, but the hermit remained unmoved by external circumstances.