The Mirror of Zen

10

The Buddha spoke like a bow, while the Patriarchs
spoke like its string. He taught a no-hindrance Dharma
that returns to the One Taste, sometimes called "sub-
stance." when even the traces of this "one taste" dis-
appear, the one mind taught by the Patriarchs appears
clearly. For this reason, it is said that the hwa-du of
"the pine tree in the garden" cannot be found even in
the sutras of the Dragon Palace under the sea.

Gatha

when fish swim, the water turns murky
when birds fly, feathers flutter down.

Commentary

"Speaking like a bow" has the sense of bending, while "speaking
like its string" indicates straight forwardness and directness, or
tautness. "The sutras of the Dragon Palace under the sea" refers
to the vast collection of the eighty thousand sutras accumulated
over the ages. A monk asked Zen Master Chao-chou, "what is
the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?" Chao-
chou replied, "The pine tree in the courtyard." This is often
called "a Zen teaching beyond any fixed forms."