KOAN

###koan #meditation #riddile #thought #thinking

KOAN RIDDLE

LITTLE Toyo was only twelve years old. But since he was a pupil at
the Kennin temple, he wanted to be given a koan to ponder, just
like the more advanced students. So one evening, at the proper
time, he went to the room of Mokurai, the master, struck the gong
softly to announce his presence, bowed, and sat before the master
in respectful silence.

Finally the master said: "Toyo, show me the sound of two hands
clapping."

Toyo clapped his hands.

"Good," said the master. "Now show me the sound of one hand
clapping."

Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to consider this
problem.

The next night he returned, and struck the gong with one palm.
"That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned
and played geisha music with one hand. "That is not right," said
the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the
dripping of water.

"That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo
returned, and imitated the cricket scraping his leg. "That is
still not right," said the master.

For ten nights Toyo tried new sounds. At last he stopped coming to
the master. For a year he thought of every sound, and discarded
them all, until finally he reached enlightenment.

He returned respectfully to the master. Without striking the gong,
he sat down and bowed. "I have heard sound without sound," he
said.

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