Bits and Pieces from the Commentary:
In doctrinal disputes in India the winner holds a red flag in
his hand, while the loser turns his clothes inside out and departs
through a side door. Those who wanted to hold doctrinal
disputes in India were required to obtain royal permission.
Bells and drums would be sounded in the great temples and
afterwards the debates could begin. In Kanadeva's day the heretics
impounded the bell and drum in the (Buddhist) community
temple in a purge. At this time the honorable Kanadeva knew
that the Buddhist Teaching was in trouble, so he made use of
his supernatural powers to ascend the bell tower and ring the
bell, for he wanted to drive out the heretics.
Soon one of the heretics called out, "Who is up in the tower ringing the bell?" Kanadeva said, "A deva." The heretic asked, "Who is the deva?" Kanadeva said, "1." The heretic said "Who is 'I'?'' Kanadeva said, " 'You' is a dog." The heretic asked, "Who is the dog?" Kanadeva said, "The dog is you." After seven go-rounds like this, the heretic realized he was beaten, so he submitted and himself opened the door of the bell tower, whereupon Kanadeva came down from the tower holding a red flag. The heretic said, "Why do you not follow?" Kanadeva said, "Why do you not precede?" The heretic said, "You're a knave." Kanadeva said, "You're a freeman."
Over and over Kanadeva would respond to questions like this, using his unobstructed powers of argument to overcome heretics, who would therefore submit. At such times the honorable Kanadeva would hold a red flag in his hand, and the one who had been defeated would stand beneath the flag. Among the heretics, to have their hands cut was generally the punishment to expiate the fault (or defeat in argument), but at this time Kanadeva put a stop to this; he only required his defeated adversaries to shave off their hair and enter the Buddhist path. Therefore the school of Kanadeva flourished greatly.
Although people from all over have given answers to this question ("What is the school of Kanadeva?"), mostly they have turned to events to make up their answers; there is only Pa Ling who speaks as he does-he's extremely lofty and unique, unavoidably difficult to understand. Then too, without revealing a trace of his sharp point, he takes on enemies on all sides, and blow by blow finds a way to get himself out. He has the skill to fell tigers; he strips off human emotional views. As for the matter of One Form/ to get here you must have penetrated all the way through on your own, but after all you must meet another (enlightened) person before you are done. Therefore it is said, "When Tao Wu brandished his sceptre, one who was his equal would understand;ct when Shih Kung bent his bow, an adept would tacitly comprehend."e For this truth, if you have no master to seal and instruct you, what teaching can you use to carry on the esoteric conversation?
ColdCoffeeandHoar-frost: Flax or Snow, both seem like poor food to me! But if we go beyond the metaphor, what is Pa Ling getting at? How much snow would you need to pile up before it became clear?