Diaristic Notations

I make so many assumptions. If another monk instead of Kashyapa had smiled, would he have become Buddha’s successor? If Kashyapa had done something besides a faint smile would he still have become Buddha’s successor? I’ve heard that there is a book that explains all the koans. Yet, I’ve been also told that if you gave the “answer” to a teacher they would know that you didn’t get it yet. It seems the way I contend with situations is by making a vast array of assumptions. Suppose I add nothing to what I know: that Buddha picked up a flower and that Kashyapa smiled. Because these events were sequential I believe one caused the other. Even that may be a story. Whoa!