A devotee asked Ch'an Master Chao-chou, " Does the Buddha have worries? "

Chao-chou exclaimed, " Yes! "

The devotee queried, " Buddha is already enlightened, so why does he still have worries? "

Chao-chou answered, " That is because you are still not liberated from suffering. "

The devotee inquired, " If I cultivate myself and become liberated from suffering, will the Buddha still have worries? "

Chao-chou again exclaimed, " Yes! "

The the devotee questioned again, " If I am already liberated, why does the Buddha still have worries? "

Chao-chou declared, " Because many beings still exist! "

The devotee asked, " But it is not possible to liberate every being from suffering. Does this mean that the Buddha will always have worries and can never transcend them? "

Chao-chou answered, " The Buddha has already transcended and detached himself from worries ."

The devotee questioned, " If all beings have not been freed yet, how can the Buddha no longer have any worries? "

Chao-chou replied, " Because within the self-nature of the Buddha all beings have already been freed. "

At this point, the devotee seemed to have attained a further understanding.