That iconoclastic acts are not denunciations of an authority that has been broken and overcome is similarly implied in the life of Lin-chi . The liberating act of 'casting off' was incorporated into a more encompassing intention directed towards communal practice which included obedience, loyalty and learning. Several years ago my younger brother was cleaning out his attic when he ran across a long forgotten box of stuff stashed away that at one time belonged to me. The pages were faded and worn. Corner after corner of pages folded down.
Pencil notes all over the margins and inside the covers.
Sentences were underlined in ink. Whole paragraphs were highlighted in a now barely discernible yellow. My brother reminded me of how I, not unlike Te Shan, used to carry that book around like a bible my last two years of high school and several years afterward. Then one day something was different. Like Te Shan I somehow didn't need books much any more.