76. Hakuin: The Sound of One Hand
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
Masayo Suemura [+]
Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture
Description
Hakuin Ekaku (d. 1768 CE) was a leading Zen monk in Edo Period, known as the second founder of the Rinzai School in Japan. He emphasized the importance of enlightenment in Zen, and carried out an extensive systematization of the Kanna Zen established by Dahui Zonggao (d. 1163 CE) in the Song dynasty. Kanna Zen is one of two type Koan Zen, which studies koan by concentrating consciousness in zazen. The other Koan Zen is Monji Zen studying koan by written explanations and verses. This section is the translation of the "The Sound of One Hand” koan, which is one of the most famous of his koan systems and belongs to the first “Dharmakāya” stage of the five stages. He created this koan by himself and asserted that it was superior to previous koans. To hear “the sound of one hand” is to hear the soundless sound. That is, it means realizing the absolute level beyond the physical senses. Here, Hakuin describes the Buddha’s six supernatural abilities attained by enlightenment, and uses the Buddha and Princess Chūjō hime, a Japanese court lady, as examples to explain the importance of the principle of cause and effect in Buddhism, encouraging that one should practice in order to hear “the sound of one hand.”