"Holding a flower and subtly smiling." Once， when the Buddha was with his congregation at Vulture Peak， he held up a bouquet of flowers offered to him by a god. Nobody understood the meaning of this event except Maha^ka^/syapa 摩诃迦叶， who indicated his understanding with a small smile. The Buddha then proclaimed that he would transmit to him the essence of Buddhism. This story is told in the Chan school.