1939 spring, Zhou Enlai went to Hengshan Mountain in Nanyue as a training class for guerrilla cadres. At that time, the monks of Nanyue Temple, headed by Qiu Zan and Yan Wen, organized a national salvation group-Nanyue Buddhist National Salvation Association, determined to do their part for the cause of resistance against Japan. However, their opinions are quite different. Yan Wen advocated the establishment of an army of monks to go to the anti-Japanese battlefield and fight directly with the Japanese devils. Qiu Zan disagreed and thought that killing people was against Buddhist precepts. They argued with each other, so he asked Zhou Enlai to "make a ruling".

The next day, Zhou Enlai came to Shangfeng Temple. He spoke highly of the patriotic enthusiasm of monks and put forward the view that there is no need to set up a monk army. At the end of the conversation, Qiu Zan asked Zhou Enlai to write an inscription. Zhou Enlai didn't refuse. He picked up the pen and thought for a while. He wrote eight characters on the rice paper, "Get on the horse and kill the thief, get off the horse and learn from the Buddha." Qiu Zan looked at the inscription and hesitated for a moment. "Disciples dare to ask, is the inscription linked to' killing thieves' and' learning Buddhism' in line with the doctrine?"

Zhou Enlai explained with a smile: "Lohan's first Chinese translation was' Killing a thief'. If you don't kill a thief, you can't be an arhat. I wrote "killing thieves", not "killing people". This "thief" of course refers to an intolerable gangster in Buddhism. At present, strong Japanese thieves are killing a large number of my compatriots. If you don't kill the murderer, how can you benefit all beings? This is a good thing. Killing thieves is for patriotism and Buddhism. You monks are just monks. You have never been abroad, so you have to defend your country. The war of resistance is to kill thieves, and to kill thieves is to fight against patriotism. "

Zhou Enlai closely linked "killing thieves" with "learning Buddhism", forcing Qiu Zan to admit the rationality of killing thieves psychologically. Then he distinguished the relationship between "killing thieves" and "killing thieves", raised "killing thieves" to the highest teachings of Buddhism, such as "saving the world" and "doing good", and finally talked about the great goal of resisting Japan and saving the country. It's really gradual. Qiu Zan said excitedly: "Mr. Zhou is really knowledgeable, proficient in doctrine and Buddhism." I see, only when you get on the horse and kill the thief can you get off the horse and learn Buddhism. We monks should also join the Anti-Japanese War, arm Buddhist monks and mount horses to kill thieves. "