I have heard about a little boy Toyo and his meditations. He was only twelve years old but he wanted to be given something to ponder, to meditate on. So one evening he went to Mokurai, the Zen master, struck the gong softly to announce his presence, and sat before the master in respectful silence.
Finally the master said: Toyo, show me the sound of two hands.
Toyo clapped his hands.
Good, said the master. Now show me the sound of one hand clapping.
Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to meditate on the problem. The next night he returned and struck the gong with one palm.
That is not right, said the master.
The next night Toyo returned and played geisha music with one hand.
That is not right, said the master.
And again and again Toyo returned with some answer but the master said again and again, That is not right. For nights Toyo tried new sounds but each and every answer was rejected. The question itself was absurd so no answer could be right.
And when on the eleventh night Toyo came and before he spoke anything the master said: That is still not right!
He stopped coming to the master. For a year he thought of every possible sound and discarded them all, and when there was nothing left to be discarded any more he exploded into enlightenment. When he was no more he returned to the master and without striking the gong he sat down and bowed. He was not saying anything and there was silence.
Then the master said: So you have heard the sound without sound!
Finally the master said: Toyo, show me the sound of two hands.
Toyo clapped his hands.
Good, said the master. Now show me the sound of one hand clapping.
Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to meditate on the problem. The next night he returned and struck the gong with one palm.
That is not right, said the master.
The next night Toyo returned and played geisha music with one hand.
That is not right, said the master.
And again and again Toyo returned with some answer but the master said again and again, That is not right. For nights Toyo tried new sounds but each and every answer was rejected. The question itself was absurd so no answer could be right.
And when on the eleventh night Toyo came and before he spoke anything the master said: That is still not right!
He stopped coming to the master. For a year he thought of every possible sound and discarded them all, and when there was nothing left to be discarded any more he exploded into enlightenment. When he was no more he returned to the master and without striking the gong he sat down and bowed. He was not saying anything and there was silence.
Then the master said: So you have heard the sound without sound!
Go on discarding: not this, not this (NETI, NETI). and ultimately when nothing remains to be discarded - then is the explosion. Do not cling to anything, to any thought. Go on and on until the nothingness.
