As He Returns West Carrying One Shoe,
He Encounters Song Yun
Patriarch Bodhidharma then pretended to enter
Nirvana. People buried his coffin and thought the matter was finished.
However, right at that time, a diplomatic representative from Northern
Wei called Song Yun met Patriarch Bodhidharma in the vicinity of the
Qin Range on the road to Zhongnan Mountain. When they met, Patriarch
Bodhidharma was carrying one shoe in his hand. He said to Song Yun,
"The king of your country died today. Your country is in turmoil.
Return quickly! There is work to be done."
Song Yun thought, "Nothing is happening in my
country." Then he asked Patriarch Bodhidharma, "Great Master, where
are you going then?"
"Back to India," he replied.
"Great Master, to whom did you transmit your
Dharma?"
Patriarch Bodhidharma replied, "In China after
forty years, there will be someone able ('Ke')." "Able" was a
reference to Great Master Hui Ke.
