bamboos. Nestling in the dense foliage stood a temple. The doors and
courts were in ruins. The walls, inner and outer, in disrepair. An
inscription on a tablet testified that this was the temple of Spiritual
Perception. On the sides of the door was also a pair of old and
dilapidated scrolls with the following enigmatical verses.

Behind ample there is, yet to retract the hand, the mind heeds not,
until.
Before the mortal vision lies no path, when comes to turn the will.

"These two sentences," Yue-ts'un pondered after perusal, "although simple
in language, are profound in signification. I have previous to this
visited many a spacious temple, located on hills of note, but never have
I beheld an inscription referring to anything of the kind. The meaning
contained in these words must, I feel certain, owe their origin to the
experiences of some person or other; but there's no saying. But why
should I not go in and inquire for myself?"

Upon walking in, he at a glance caught sight of no one else, but of a
very aged bonze, of unkempt appearance, cooking his rice. When Yue-ts'un
perceived that he paid no notice, he went up to him and asked him one or
two questions, but as the old priest was dull of hearing and a dotard,
and as he had lost his teeth, and his tongue was blunt, he made most
irrelevant replies.

Yue-ts'un lost all patience with him, and withdrew again from the
compound with the intention of going as far as the village public house
to have a drink or two, so as to enhance the enjoyment of the rustic
scenery. With easy stride, he accordingly walked up to the place.
Scarcely had he passed the threshold of the public house, when he