When Rinzai came to Daiji, he was sitting in his quarters. Rinzai asked, “How is it when you are sitting calmly in your room?” Daiji said, “The consistent colour of the winter pine tree has been outstanding for a thousand years; when an old man in the country picks flowers, it is spring all over the country.” Rinzai said, “The foundation of perfect wisdom of enlightenment of all ages has been transcended forever; ten thousand barriers shut off the Three Mountains.” Daiji gave a Katsu. Rinzai also gave a Katsu. Daiji said, “How?” Rinzai shook his sleeves and left.

Commentary:
In Daiji’s answer ‘The consistent colour of the winter pine tree has been outstanding for a thousand years; when an old man in the country picks flowers, it is spring all over the country’, ‘the winter pine tree’ symbolises the true-Self that is unchangeable like a pine tree which is evergreen, and ‘its consistent colour has been outstanding for a thousand years’ means that it has been manifesting itself clearly before us without any concealment for countless years. In ‘when an old man in the country picks flowers, it is spring all over the country’, flowers imply words and spring the true-Self. So, this phrase means that when he, Daiji himself reveals the true-Self by saying these few words, it reveals itself all over the country as if it were spring all over the country. In Rinzai’s replying words, ‘The foundation of perfect wisdom of enlightenment of all ages has been transcended forever’ means he is never attached even to the true-Self that is the foundation of perfect wisdom of enlightenment, and ‘Ten thousand barriers shut off the Three Mountains’ implies the Three Mountains that is the true-Self are difficult to recognise since they are covered with ten thousand barriers, which are illusions. Then, both masters revealed the true-Self by giving a Katsu in turn. When Daiji said, “How will you respond now?” Rinzai responded by showing the true-Self through shaking his sleeves and leaving.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway