Huiyuan's "Why Did Bodhidharma Come from the West?"

A monk asked Master Huiyuan, " Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?" Huiyuan replied, "The cypress tree in the garden."

Reflection

Huiyuan's answer 'The cypress tree in the garden' to the question about Bodhidharma coming from the West follows the same pattern as Zhaozhou. The answer rejects conceptual seeking by presenting a mundane fact. The cypress tree is not a symbol of enlightenment; it is enlightenment itself, right here, right now, in the garden of ordinary perception.