CASE 48: Tea at Shokei Temple

Minister Ô [1] visited Shokei Temple, where he offered tea. The senior monk
Ro took up the kettle to serve Myosho [2]. But Ro overturned the kettle
[over the tea hearth]. The minister saw this and asked the senior monk, 
   "What is there under the tea hearth?"
Ro said,
   "Deities holding up the hearth [3]."
The minister said, 
   "If they are deities holding up the hearth, why did they overturn the
    kettle?"
Ro said,
   "Thousand days of good service -- all is lost in one morning."
The minister flourished his sleeves and went out.

Myosho said,
   "Elder Ro, you have eaten plenty of rice in Shokei Temple, and yet
    you are simply a [useless] stump in the field."
Ro said,
   "What would you have said, Master?"
Myosho said,
   "These non-human beings [4] wreaked havoc."

(Setcho said, "At that moment I would have kicked over the tea hearth.")


[1]: Minister Ô was a patron of Shokei Temple.
[2]: Myosho was senior to Ro. He was the abbot of the neighboring temple
     and was apparently invited to the tea too.
[3]: The legs of the tea hearth were shaped like demi-gods.
[4]: I.e., the "deities who hold up the hearth".