Yonyonson, It's a great story and I've admired the wisdom of it and Hakuin's behavior in the tale for over 35 years. I use his line sometimes, too, and it helps cool me and others down on some occasions:
"Is that so?" And, when you use it with someone who practices or who otherwise also knows the story, you usually get a smile or a laugh, which is even better. It's like a story from your own family, at those times. The three repetitions of the phrase are probably what reminds you of the story in this case, after Chris' mention of the policy of not answering a Zen-related question until the questioner had posed the question three times. I don't know if there really *is* this policy anywhere, and I'd like to know more about it. Chris writes that it keeps him from injecting his own preferences: I'm dubious and even mildly suspicious of that faith, however, immediately (and I tell you this on the first go-'round, even though you did not ask even once). I fear that it may give you, the responder, too much time to concoct a "considered" reply, making the answer too "prepared". And when you reel it out, it may not suit the circumstances at all. I think if you really know something, you ought to be able to spit it out. And then your words will also be "living-" words: you know, the kind that are valued in Zen. (unless it's something you have to look up: like, what were the inclusive dates of Hakuin's life? Or, Confucious? By the second questioning, you ought to have the data). By the way, the dust-up about payments was all an ignorant mis-understanding. The fee pertains to a Medical Doctor's rate for psychiatric treatment. Somehow, a wildfire broke out here and some people actually began to cast aspersions on and slander the Dharma teacher, believing that the fee was for Dharma teaching. A little cold water of reality doused the flames licking about, dampened the smouldering, and shut a few mouths. Yonyonson, I agree that the Dharma is priceless! And I claim that Dana is a *practice* which really does help to bring us to awakening, and to keep us awake. Hail! Non-practitioners can't know this for themselves, though, which is the only way to know it. --Joe --- In [email protected], yonyonson@... wrote: > > Mr. Joe, > > reminds me of this story: > > *A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded > > to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and > > embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone > > previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents > > confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is > > that so?" [snip] ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
