Once, a student came to the Venerable Chan Master Pa-Lung (Pa-Ling) and asked:
“Are patriarchal teachings and doctrinal teachings the same or different?”
Chan Master Pa-Lung answered:
“When a chicken is cold, it climbs to the top of the tree:
When a duck is cold, It goes under the water.”
Why did Patriarch (Pa-Lung) answer: “When a chicken is cold, it climbs to the top of the tree; when a duck is cold, it goes under the water,” when asked about the difference between patriarchal and doctrinal teachings?