Is it crucial that Joshu is able to see the tree?

In the case:

A monk asked Joshu in all earnestness. “What is the meaning of the patriarch’s coming from the west?” Joshu said, “The oak tree there in the garden.”

It seems like Joshu can physically see the tree; is it crucially necessary for this case that he can see the tree?

Submitted May 29, 2019 at 05:04AM by otherbody http://bit.ly/2JLOS9o