Xuefeng's "One Arrow, Three Vultures"
A monk asked Xuefeng, "
When a student is at the point of death, is there any fault or not?" Xuefeng said,
"What is the fault?" The monk said,
"Then, after the point of death, what then?" Xuefeng said,
"It does not follow the teacher." The monk said,
"If that is so, then one arrow shoots three vultures." Xuefeng struck him.
The monk walked away.
Xuefeng called, "Attendant, bring this dead fellow a cup of tea."
Reflection
Xuefeng's dialogue with the monk reveals the danger of becoming attached to Zen concepts. The monk speaks of 'one arrow shooting three vultures' - a clever phrase that sounds enlightened but is merely intellectual. Xuefeng strikes him, and then orders tea for the 'dead fellow,' showing that true Zen activity continues beyond all conceptual understanding.