A soldier named Nobushige came to the great Rinzai Zen Master Hakuin and asked, "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"
"Who are you?" Master Hakuin asked.
"I'm a samurai," Nobushige replied.
"You, a warrior!" Hakuin exclaimed. "What kind of ruler would have you as a guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."
Nobushige became very angry. He began to draw his sword.
Master Hakuin added, "So you have a sword. Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."
Nobushige became more angry and drew his sword completely out.
"Here open the gates the hell!" Master Hakuin quietly said.
At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline and teaching, sheathed his sword and bowed.
"Here open the gates of paradise," Hakuin said.
No comments:
Post a Comment