One day Ch'an Master Tan-hsia T'ien-jan came to visit the Layman [P'ang]. As soon as he reached the gate he saw [the Layman's] daughter Ling-chao carrying a basket of greens.
"Is the Layman here?" asked Tan-hsia.
Ling-chao put down the basket of greens, politely folded her arms and stood still.
"Is the Layman here?" asked Tan-hsia again.
When the Layman returned a little later, Ling-chao told him the conversation.
"Is Tan-hsia here?" asked the Layman.
"He's gone," replied Ling-chao.
"Red earth painted with milk," remarked the Layman.
Commentary
Imagine what it would be like to walk over to the Layman's place. Be prepared! Don't waste your time!
Source: The Recorded Sayings of Layman P'ang by Ruth Fuller Sasaki
Painting by acrossandtwokisses/Cathy
Comments