![]() ![]() This admonition is not so easy to put into practice, requiring complete dedication and a willingness to go beyond the thinking patterns and judgmental tendencies of our usual mind. Put aside the intellectual practice of investigating words and chasing phrases, and learn to take the backward step that turns the light and shines it inward. That mind flows from Zen practice it is the mind of “no mind,” of no discrimination. Although people believe they need to acquire things to gain happiness, what they really want is the mind of Hakuin, the mind of Buddha, of no suffering, the mind that embraces change without resistance, that understands the true nature of all things. Even if an exciting experience does occur, the basic unease remains. Discouragement often sets in after a time, as individuals do not recognize that their effort to acquire something is just one more act of striving in an already busy life. Very often, people come to Zen practice in search of an epiphany, some kind of enlightenment, to feel special or acquire an exciting power. It illustrates the mind of practice, of no attachments, and of no “self” to defend, simply of accommodation and taking care. It is a love story – without an object of love – of universal embrace of every situation, without judgment. It is about what our mind can be, capable of equanimity in all situations. But Hakuin’s story is not about ordinary mind – it is an illustration of Buddha mind. Our ordinary mind suffers when it experiences unexpected, life-changing events, particularly when we feel the action was aimed at us personally. Worse yet, what if our wife, or husband, or partner suddenly informs us that he or she has found somebody else and is leaving? Would we be able to remain calm and say, “Is that so?” What if we have the unfortunate experience of being laid-off from work? Most of us would be quite upset. But what if the power goes out at home or at work? Or our car gets rear-ended? Considering the resulting trouble and inconvenience, there is a fair chance that we would feel anger, at the utility company or the other driver. ![]() If we develop a flat tire while driving downtown, we may experience a little bit of upset, a little irritation, but no deep anger towards anyone. When the telephone rings, we easily accept it with little problem. We respond in different ways to surprises and disruptive situations: our mind has several levels of acceptance depending on the degree of how our life is impacted. Although he loved the child as his own, Hakuin was willing to give him up without complaint. The mortified parents went to Hakuin, apologizing, asking his forgiveness for the wrong they did him. She confessed the truth to her parents – the real father was not Hakuin but rather a young man who worked at the local fish market. A year later, the young mother of the child was troubled by great remorse. He took delight in caring for the infant child he was able to obtain milk and other essentials from the villagers. By this time, he had lost his reputation and his disciples. When the baby was born, the family gave it to Hakuin. The furious parents confronted Hakuin, berating him in front of all of his students. At first, the girl would not confess but after much harassment, she named Hakuin. Angry and distraught, they demanded to know the name of the father. ![]() One day the parents discovered that their daughter was pregnant. At one time in his life, he lived in a village hermitage, close to a food shop run by a couple and their beautiful, young daughter. Hakuin was greatly respected and had many disciples. He is said to have created the now-famous question: “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” Hakuin believed that the understanding arising out of practice in everyday life was deeper than the understanding that could come from practicing in the monastery, since lay people faced more distractions, held more responsibilities, and experienced more heartbreak than the monks and so needed to practice with great diligence. Zen Master Hakuin lived in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries… ![]()
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