Koan – Mumonkan – Case No. 37 – Zen Master Joshu’s Oak Tree

The Case

A monk asked zen master Joshu, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming to China?" Joshu said, "The oak tree in the garden."

Mumon's Comment

If you understand Joshu's answer intimately, there is no Shakya before you, no Maitreya to come.

Verse

Words cannot express things; Speech does not convey the spirit. Swayed by words, one is lost; Blocked by phrases, one is bewildered.