- Traditional Zen Koan. Better yet, it’s supposed to be a question without an answer. Re your recent discussion, the sound of one hand clapping is, as any true friend of Jimmy Rockford can tell you, the sound of a slap in the face. The essence of the question is that clapping is a form of communication—an act or instance of transmitting. Some people, however, require advance warning if they’re to recognize a joke when they see one, e.g., a siren, large firecracker, or gong. In line with this, a number of Buddhist masters continue to develop bewildering philosophical thought experiments for their followers. (1) You’re an idiot. In this practice, a fragment of the koan, such as "mu", or a "what is"-question is used by focusing on this fragment and repeating it over and over again: For this and so many other reasons, koans are easily one of the greatest treasures of Eastern wisdom there has ever been. As a classic example of the power of a koan, according to a popular story regarding the practice of non-attachment, one day, two monks named Tanzan and Ekido were walking along a muddy road together. The Sound of One Hand Clapping Latest answer posted January 07, 2013 at 6:40:33 AM In The Sound of One Hand Clapping, what links are there to themes with Romulus, my Father? At that time, little more than fifty generations ago, renowned spiritual masters started telling stories about each other, to better teach their students about the ways of the world. this made me laugh so hard. The time-honored practice first began, centuries ago, during the Tang dynasty in ancient China. My answer is that one hand can not clap because clapping takes two hands and therefor one hand clapping does not produce sound. Related topics: Zen The True Path is the path on which there is no coming and no going. Better yet, it’s supposed to be a question without an answer. In no time at all, legendary encounters between the old adepts and their young disciples, as well as other interlocutors, were also being commented on during spiritual lessons. He had a little protégé named Toyo who was only twelve years old. The right (and formerly dominant) arm is near 100% paralyzed. We were having a heated argument the other day that it's impossible to clap without using both hands. By puzzling over these eternally cold cases, many monks and nuns are able to better internalize their faith. Either way, two hands clap, and there is a sound. All were wrong. Definitely, any „spiritually“ intellectualized „explanations“ of this koan are of no help/value for people. As I read the statement, I found myself thinking: “This is the sound of one hand clapping.” Let me explain. Then, he applies that principle to human relationships: ‘…everything is in a relationship to everything else … if you change one side of a relationship you … The sound of one hand clapping is a tiny sound that can be barley heard by humans. Clearly your so-called friends could stand a lesson in thoughtfulness. For instance, The Iron Flute was compiled in 1783, and these are only but a few of the timeless classics. - Zen Koan. Can anyone? Sign up for the It’s a koan, or question designed to measure a student’s progress in their study of Zen. After several years of dedicated meditating, however, they learn the correct response, which is to face the questioner, assume an appropriate Buddhist posture, and without a word thrust one hand forward. He had a little protege named Toyo who was only twelve years old. We cannot learn about foreign cultures unless we ask. Toyo had realized the sound of one hand. “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” The thing is that this is actually a statement, not a question. Why? Now seeing the concepts of Rinzai Zen, the context of Japanese religious patronage must be understood.Religious sects in Medieval and Pre-Modern Japan relied heavily on the support of the government. reruns, two excellent examples of the way modern technology enriches ancient religious practice. Zen Koan: “Sound of One Hand” Parable. (In casual discussion this is usually corrupted to: What is the sound of one hand clapping?). What does this say about clapping? A joke is a display of cleverness intended to engender yux. However, there is/was a Simpsons episode in which Bart demonstrated the sound of one hand clapping by folding his fingers down against his palm hard enough so as to produce a "clapping" sound. There’s this thing called a joke, Frank, that you should become acquainted with. Time to Die: A Zen teacher had a rare and priceless teacup. Koans are designed to be nonsensical‚ shocking‚ or humorous. As such, Tanzan graciously offered to help. Think of how you generate sound by clapping your hands – it is hard to explain on the basis of your right hand or your left hand alone. When you draw genes one by one and connect them with a line if they perform a function together, you get gene networks. But what about the one hand clapping? It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. So now you know how I came up with the catchy name for my blog, “The Sound of One Hand Clapping.”. What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping? On the surface, it pushes air but makes no sound; end of discussion. For almost a year he pondered what the sound of one hand might be. Even if only one hand changes its position relative to another, unmoving hand , a clapping sound will be produced. But that is not how to approach the koan. Write on Medium, A Non-Pagan’s Guide to Understanding Modern Paganism, The Worst of ‘Christianity’ In One Instagram Post, A Letter to my Brothers & Sisters in Christ in the Midst of a Storm. The monks and nuns built up vast collections of fabulous tales, in this way. On the one hand, the bishops wish to reaffirm the Prayer Book teaching on the divine purposes of marriage, that “marriage is a creation ordinance, a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace,” which is … Suffused with melancholy, "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" focuses on a generation of Central European refugees who forged a new life for themselves in an Australia far less tolerant than it is today. But then someone piped up that the Chinese have found a way of clapping using one hand only. How sweet it tasted. So, generally speaking, a koan is pretty much any statement, dialogue, question, riddle or story, that can be used to provoke what Zen Buddhists call the “great doubt”. Hakuin Ekaku: What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. For further insight, see (2) below. The Japanese term Zen refers to meditation and intuition. More to the point, the style of writing used in koans has been influenced by a variety of Asian literary devices, as well as many Buddhist principles. (2) You’re a person of exceeding wit and ingenuity, and your letter is actually a coy recasting of a famous Zen Buddhist koan, or riddle, such as Zen masters use to instruct their pupils. Koans are problems that don’t require solutions. One really old example of this is the Blue Cliff Record, which is a set of a hundred koans that were compiled in the year 1125, by Yuanwu Keqin. Zen Story: The Sound Of One Hand Clapping The master of Kennin temple was Mokurai, Silent Thunder. They are paradoxical riddles that are used to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning, to provoke enlightenment. Or is it? 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