大慧普覺禪師宗門武庫 1.8

1.8

When Duke Shen, Lü Da, was administering state affairs, he took advantage of a day of rest to send an appeal in advance inviting Master Yan Fahua to a vegetarian meal. The next day, Yan indeed arrived at the mansion and sat in the main hall. As Duke Shen was about to come out to meet him, he thought to himself, "Is it right to bow, or is it right not to bow?" Yan cried out loudly, "Old Lü! You are so terribly agitated! Come out quickly—bowing is fine, and not bowing is fine!" Duke Shen bowed and showed him reverence. When the meal was over, he asked whether his future would be good or bad. Yan asked for a brush and wrote in large characters the two words "Bozhou" and gave it to him, without explaining why. Later, dismissed as chief minister, he was appointed prefect of Bozhou. While sorting through documents, he suddenly saw those two characters before him and only then realized it was an earlier prophecy.