Decayed Tree and Cold Boulder | Zen Koan

Once upon a time there was a shrine master who was attended with complete devotion by an old woman and her daughter. About thirty years passed when the old woman decided to test the shrine master's degree of practice. So, she requested of her daughter "Today, as soon as he finishes dinner, sit in his lap, rub his face with yours and ask him, "Now, this moment, how do you feel?" The daughter did what she was asked and the shrine master said, "Decaying tree leaned against the cold boulder. There is no warm air in the season of bitter cold."

According to what he said, he meant, "Even though you have attended me for over thirty years, I do not have any special feeling toward you." Upon hearing this story from the daughter, the old woman recognized what level the shrine master had attended. "Oh," she lamented, "I have taken care of that idiotic bum for over thirty years for nothing. What a mistake I have made!" So, she asked him to leave the shrine, which she then burned down. Now, you, student:

Why did the old woman call the shrine Master, 'idiotic bum,' and why did that innocent and pristine man have to leave the shrine?"

In order to have not been ordered out of the shrine and to have protected the shrine from being burned down, what should the master have answered when the young girl asked that question? Venerable Master Jon-Kang used to often talk about this story. Venerable Master Hye-Am once visited him to exchange discussion regarding the preceding Koan and told him, "I came all the way up here to listen to a word from you. Please tell me about this Koan. If you do, I will say a word for you too, in exchange."

Jon-Kang sunim said, "You are hard-of-hearing. I have to scream. it is too hard for me to scream since my breath is short." So, Venerable Master Hye-Am asked in return, "Then how did you say that word? You have just made it impossible to communicate the Law." Jon-Kang was silent.

Zen Master Hye-Am's Comment

Even if that old woman were a Bodhisattva, there was no reason for her to have burned the shrine. What she did was too extreme. I wondered what the other ancient wise men had to say about this. In the Sonam Temple, Sok-Am showed me the Book of Zen Stories and Gatha's wherein it was also talked about the mistake of the old woman. Once Master Go-Bong, clinging to the facade, commented on this case about the daughter asking, "How do you feel?" by saying:

As if dragon had merged with the water, as if tiger leaned over the mountain.

However, Venerable Master Hye-Wol responded for himself, "Originally your mother was born with a female body." If one asked me about this Koan, I would answer:

"Muddy waves hitting the jade stupa."