The Bridge of Zhaozhou
A monk asked Zhaozhou, "
What is the meaning of the ancestral teacher's coming from the west?" Zhaozhou said,
"The cypress tree in the courtyard." The monk said,
"Do not use objects to instruct." Zhaozhou said,
"I am not using objects." The monk said,
"Then what is the meaning of the ancestral teacher's coming from the west?" Zhaozhou said,
"The cypress tree in the courtyard."
Reflection
Zhaozhou's cypress tree appears again when the monk protests against using objects to instruct. Zhaozhou insists he is not using objects – the tree is not a symbol; it is the teaching itself. The koan deepens by rejecting the very distinction between object and meaning. Ultimate truth is not communicated through objects; it is the object itself, wholly present.