Monks at Longhu Temple (Dragon-Tiger Temple) were painting a “Dragon-Tiger Battle” mural on the front wall. They struggled to capture dynamic tension: the dragon coiled in clouds, ready to descend; the tiger crouched on a mountain, poised to pounce.
Master Wu De returned and was asked to critique. He observed:
“The forms are good, but do you know their natures? Before attacking, the dragon must retract its head; before leaping, the tiger lowers its head. The deeper the dragon bends its neck, the closer the tiger presses to the ground — the farther they surge, the higher they leap!”
The monks rejoiced:
“Master, you pinpointed it! We painted the dragon’s head too forward, the tiger’s too high — hence the lifelessness!”
Wu De seized the moment:
“This is Chan practice: retreat prepares the greater advance; humility lifts the highest.”
A monk puzzled:
“How can retreating move one forward? How can bowing low lift one higher?”
Wu De recited a Zen verse:
“Planting green rice shoots across flooded fields, eyes down — behold the sky in water!
Purity of mind is the Dao: stepping back is walking forward.”
He then asked:
“Do you grasp this, seekers?”
Cultural & Philosophical Notes
Strategic Retreat as Power:
The dragon/tiger mechanics reveal: true advancement requires preparatory yielding — like drawing a bow backward to shoot forward.
Humility as Elevation:
“Lowering the tiger’s head” symbolizes: discarding ego to access boundless potential. Bending isn’t weakness — it’s gravitational wisdom.
The Watery Sky Paradox:
“Eyes down — behold the sky” symbolizes progress through non-grasping; Strategic surrender reveals the infinite. Stay away from the demands and stimulation of the outside world and embark on a deeper journey inward.
Paradox of Stepping Back to Move Forward:
Just as rice farmers step backward to plant forward rows, enlightenment blooms when we cease chasing it. The act of “planting rice shoots” symbolizes true forward motion may begin with retreat.
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