KOAN THREE

#koan #meditaiton #writing #war #peace

Hakuin, Heaven and Hell

A FAMOUS soldier came to the master Hakuin and asked: "Master,
tell me: is there really a heaven and a hell?"

"Who are you?" asked Hakuin.

"I am a soldier of the great Emperor's personal guard."

"Nonsense!" said Hakuin. "What kind of emperor would have you
around him? To me you look like a beggar!" At this, the soldier
started to rattle his big sword in anger.

 "Oho!" said Hakuin. "So you have a sword! I'll wager it's much too dull to cut my head
off!"

At this the soldier could not hold himself back. He drew his sword
and threatened the master, who said: "Now you know half the
answer! You are opening the gates of hell!"

The soldier drew back, sheathed his sword, and bowed. "Now you
know the other half," said the master. "You have opened the gates
of heaven."

KOAN THREE

#koan #meditaiton #writing #war #peace

Hakuin, Heaven and Hell

A FAMOUS soldier came to the master Hakuin and asked: "Master,
tell me: is there really a heaven and a hell?"

"Who are you?" asked Hakuin.

"I am a soldier of the great Emperor's personal guard."

"Nonsense!" said Hakuin. "What kind of emperor would have you
around him? To me you look like a beggar!" At this, the soldier
started to rattle his big sword in anger.

 "Oho!" said Hakuin. "So you have a sword! I'll wager it's much too dull to cut my head
off!"

At this the soldier could not hold himself back. He drew his sword
and threatened the master, who said: "Now you know half the
answer! You are opening the gates of hell!"

The soldier drew back, sheathed his sword, and bowed. "Now you
know the other half," said the master. "You have opened the gates
of heaven."

KOAN AGAIN

#koan #meditation #parables

 TETSUGEN

IN TETSUGEN'S time the holy Buddhist books in Chinese had never
been published in Japanese, and Tetsugen thought they should be
prepared so for his own countrymen. He planned to have several
thousand copies printed from hand-engraved woodblocks, and went
from town to town to collect donations so this great work could go
ahead. After ten years he had the money needed, and started to
have the blocks cut.

Just then the Uji river flooded, and there was famine in the land.
Tetsugen took the money he had collected, and bought rice for the
starving people. Then he started out to collect his funds again.
Whether the donation was a little one or in coins of gold, he was
equally grateful. After some years, he had the money again.

Then an epidemic passed over the country. Thousands of families
were left without support. So Tetsugen spent all the money he had
collected, helping the helpless. When it was all gone, he started
collecting it again.

Finally his great project was accomplished, and he died content.
Tetsugen's edition of the holy books in Japanese can still be
seen. But those who know, say that the first two editions, which
have never been seen, far surpass the third.

KOAN AGAIN

#koan #meditation #parables

 TETSUGEN

IN TETSUGEN'S time the holy Buddhist books in Chinese had never
been published in Japanese, and Tetsugen thought they should be
prepared so for his own countrymen. He planned to have several
thousand copies printed from hand-engraved woodblocks, and went
from town to town to collect donations so this great work could go
ahead. After ten years he had the money needed, and started to
have the blocks cut.

Just then the Uji river flooded, and there was famine in the land.
Tetsugen took the money he had collected, and bought rice for the
starving people. Then he started out to collect his funds again.
Whether the donation was a little one or in coins of gold, he was
equally grateful. After some years, he had the money again.

Then an epidemic passed over the country. Thousands of families
were left without support. So Tetsugen spent all the money he had
collected, helping the helpless. When it was all gone, he started
collecting it again.

Finally his great project was accomplished, and he died content.
Tetsugen's edition of the holy books in Japanese can still be
seen. But those who know, say that the first two editions, which
have never been seen, far surpass the third.

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

See the sea, see the sky, said myself to I

#poetry #poems #writing #meditation

So

PublicFriendsOnly MeCustomClose FriendsFamilyGo Back

What never ceases are the creases

In alternating lines comes then the rhyme.


Not only in the peaks and not only in the valley

In also the bathing light this covering, covering night.


Find then the total is experienced

And no expectation is needed.


Not then the looking there is the revealed

Startling is the sound, pleasant is the found.


In living there is only the awareness that matters

For what matters is only the living.

See the sea, see the sky, said myself to I.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

See the sea, see the sky, said myself to I

#poetry #poems #writing #meditation

So

PublicFriendsOnly MeCustomClose FriendsFamilyGo Back

What never ceases are the creases

In alternating lines comes then the rhyme.


Not only in the peaks and not only in the valley

In also the bathing light this covering, covering night.


Find then the total is experienced

And no expectation is needed.


Not then the looking there is the revealed

Startling is the sound, pleasant is the found.


In living there is only the awareness that matters

For what matters is only the living.

See the sea, see the sky, said myself to I.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Janice

JANICE

#writing #poem #poetry #meditation

i have not

ignored

whether you look left or right

see, it's there

unseen

six sided observation east or west

north or south

ignored

in or out, up or down

never truly circling

unseen

are many ways the often walked

see, it's there

ignored

the visible outer the obvious clutter

not really mattering

unseen

always there ignored

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Janice

JANICE

#writing #poem #poetry #meditation

i have not

ignored

whether you look left or right

see, it's there

unseen

six sided observation east or west

north or south

ignored

in or out, up or down

never truly circling

unseen

are many ways the often walked

see, it's there

ignored

the visible outer the obvious clutter

not really mattering

unseen

always there ignored

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.