Zen Koan 8

[MGeorge116]

8. Great Waves

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wrestling. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public he was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his trouble.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. Imagine that you are those billows. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid. You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land."

The teacher retired. O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradually he turned more and more to the feeling of the waves. As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

Why did the teacher advise him to use his imagination whilst O-nami meditated? Why did O-nami use his imagination during meditation? Isn't that against Zen meditation? I was taught the goal of zen meditation was to count to 10 with the intent to become one with the breath.

[reiun]

8. Great Waves

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wrestling. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public he was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his trouble.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. Imagine that you are those billows. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid. You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land."

The teacher retired. O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradually he turned more and more to the feeling of the waves. As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

Why did the teacher advise him to use his imagination whilst O-nami meditated? Why did O-nami use his imagination during meditation? Isn't that against Zen meditation? I was taught the goal of zen meditation was to count to 10 with the intent to become one with the breath.

In line with what you were taught "to become one with the breath", the instruction is to become one with the billows, and thus achieve samadhi, IMO.

[KeithA]

This story is a about strong, unmovable center.

There are many techniques in Zen. Counting breaths is one. Others include just sitting, hwadu, kong an work, mantra, and the one in this case, visualization. Visualization is not common in Zen, but there are examples of teachers using this technique to help students along the path.

All meditation involves a very simple technique: with one's whole being, notice a lack of attention, return to a state of attention.

[Meido]

Why did the teacher advise him to use his imagination whilst O-nami meditated? Why did O-nami use his imagination during meditation? Isn't that against Zen meditation? I was taught the goal of zen meditation was to count to 10 with the intent to become one with the breath.

The story you mention, from Paul Rep's Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, is not a koan, and not used in koan kufu (the manner of meditation centered on koans). It is rather better seen as belonging to a genre of story called setsuwa, i.e. tales for religious edification.

I do not recall that any of the "101 Zen Stories" in Rep's book are actual koan cases. But they are often referred to as such in popular discussion.

The goal of Zen meditation is liberation. The breath-counting method (susokukan) you mention is one practice of many. In Rinzai Zen, it is a typical foundational practice for a number of reasons. It is necessary to find a teacher to practice Zen, so if you do so, that person should be able to explain to you how koans and other methods are used, and with what intent.

[MGeorge116]

Why did the teacher advise him to use his imagination whilst O-nami meditated? Why did O-nami use his imagination during meditation? Isn't that against Zen meditation? I was taught the goal of zen meditation was to count to 10 with the intent to become one with the breath.

The story you mention, from Paul Rep's Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, is not a koan, and not used in koan kufu (the manner of meditation centered on koans). It is rather better seen as belonging to a genre of story called setsuwa, i.e. tales for religious edification.

I do not recall that any of the "101 Zen Stories" in Rep's book are actual koan cases. But they are often referred to as such in popular discussion.

The goal of Zen meditation is liberation. The breath-counting method (susokukan) you mention is one practice of many. In Rinzai Zen, it is a typical foundational practice for a number of reasons. It is necessary to find a teacher to practice Zen, so if you do so, that person should be able to explain to you how koans and other methods are used, and with what intent.

What is the eighth Koan?

[reiun]

Thanks for explaining that. Overcoming stage fright is not exactly a goal of koan study, and 'everyday samadhi', as experienced in athletics, music, etc., may certainly be a little different from what is experienced on the cushion. And, too, a "pat on the shoulder" by the teacher may not have the effect of a shout or blow from a stick, or some other action intended to awaken the student. So, not a koan.

[Meido]

What is the eighth Koan?

Where? There are a number of koan texts, e.g. Mumonkan, Hekiganroku, Shumon Kattoshu, etc. Each has a different koan in the eighth place.

Thanks for explaining that. Overcoming stage fright is not exactly a goal of koan study, and 'everyday samadhi', as experienced in athletics, music, etc., may certainly be a little different from what is experienced on the cushion. And, too, a "pat on the shoulder" by the teacher may not have the effect of a shout or blow from a stick, or some other action intended to awaken the student. So, not a koan.

NP. Omori Sogen's Sanzen Nyumon has a nice discussion of the difference between common samadhi, as can be experienced in activities like the ones you mention, and the intent of samadhi in Zen.

Of course we also have Eno's teaching regarding the true Zen samadhi as unity of samadhi/prajna, and grasping that is the whole point of koan practice too.

[MGeorge116]

What is the eighth Koan?

Where? There are a number of koan texts, e.g. Mumonkan, Hekiganroku, Shumon Kattoshu, etc. Each has a different koan in the eighth place.

Thanks for explaining that. Overcoming stage fright is not exactly a goal of koan study, and 'everyday samadhi', as experienced in athletics, music, etc., may certainly be a little different from what is experienced on the cushion. And, too, a "pat on the shoulder" by the teacher may not have the effect of a shout or blow from a stick, or some other action intended to awaken the student. So, not a koan.

NP. Omori Sogen's Sanzen Nyumon has a nice discussion of the difference between common samadhi, as can be experienced in activities like the ones you mention, and the intent of samadhi in Zen.

Of course we also have Eno's teaching regarding the true Zen samadhi as unity of samadhi/prajna, and grasping that is the whole point of koan practice too.

The source of the Koan I posted came from Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand). You can visit https://ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html for more information.

[reiun]

What is the eighth Koan?

Where? There are a number of koan texts, e.g. Mumonkan, Hekiganroku, Shumon Kattoshu, etc. Each has a different koan in the eighth place.

Thanks for explaining that. Overcoming stage fright is not exactly a goal of koan study, and 'everyday samadhi', as experienced in athletics, music, etc., may certainly be a little different from what is experienced on the cushion. And, too, a "pat on the shoulder" by the teacher may not have the effect of a shout or blow from a stick, or some other action intended to awaken the student. So, not a koan.

NP. Omori Sogen's Sanzen Nyumon has a nice discussion of the difference between common samadhi, as can be experienced in activities like the ones you mention, and the intent of samadhi in Zen.

Of course we also have Eno's teaching regarding the true Zen samadhi as unity of samadhi/prajna, and grasping that is the whole point of koan practice too.

Thank you, one-clicked on Amazon. My current project is to read the four books on the Gateless Barrier by Sekida, Shibayama, Guo Gu, and Aitken, and their great commentaries (at #23). The context provided by Sekida and Shibayama really nails it, and Guo Gu's Chinese expertise adds a lot.

There is also Sekida's distinction of positive and absolute samadhi, if you are familiar and have time to briefly comment.

P.S. Thanks for the most recent video on Patreon. I wondered what special belt you used to aid in tanden practice?

[Meido]

The source of the Koan I posted came from Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand). You can visit https://ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html for more information.

As I said, it is not a koan. Shaseki-shu is not a collection of koans, despite it being mislabeled as such on that site.

If you are relying on Ashida Kim for Zen information, you are pretty much as doomed as you would be relying on him for the "ninja" teachings about which he's famous for writing.

[Meido]

There is also Sekida's distinction of positive and absolute samadhi, if you are familiar and have time to briefly comment.

P.S. Thanks for the most recent video on Patreon. I wondered what special belt you used to aid in tanden practice?

To be honest I don't pay much attention to Sekida. He was not a qualified Zen teacher. His translations of koans in Two Zen Classics are okay, but my teachers always warned me to ignore his commentaries. And some of the stuff he wrote about, like his "bamboo breathing," was just his own creation.

There are enough good translations of texts by qualified teachers, like Omori Sogen, that we can leave some of those earlier books behind now.

RE the belt I mentioned, it's not really special...it's just the standard obi worn by Zen priests over the kimono and under the koromo. These days a lot of Western ordained folks wear one that fastens with velcro, but the original one is long and wraps around the lower trunk several times. It's essentially what would be called a kaku obi. If you want to look for something like that, let me know and I can probably send you some links.

[reiun]

Yes, bamboo breathing was not the way I learned.

I will pursue more modern translations like Omori Sogen's. The books I have are old, like me.

I think I can live without a kaku obi. I was just curious, and my practice is not fancy.

Thanks for the inspiration

[HePo]

....
The source of the Koan I posted came from Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand). You can visit https://ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html for more information.

Actually it is a copy of Reps "101 Zen Stories" and Shaseki-shu is only one of the sources.(as the site mentions)

If you are interested - the book Sand and pebbles (Shasekishū): the tales of Mujū Ichien was written by Robert E. Morrell.
You can find a pdf on terebess.hu.