What is this true meditation? It is to make everything: coughing, swallowing, waving the arms, motion, stillness, words, action, the evil and the good, prosperity and shame, gain and loss, right and wrong, into one single koan.
Hakuin EkakuRead
What is the sound of one hand?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote provokes thought about perception and existence.
The quote 'What is the sound of one hand?' challenges individuals to confront the nature of reality and the limits of human understanding. It is a Zen koan that encourages deep reflection, suggesting that some questions may not have straightforward answers and that true comprehension often lies beyond logical reasoning.
Themes
SoundOne HandPerceptionExistenceZen
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation session to illustrate the concept of perception versus reality.
More from Hakuin Ekaku
All quotes βMeditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.
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At this moment, is there anything lacking? Nirvana is right here now before our eyes. This place is the lotus land. This body now is the Buddha.
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All beings are by nature are Buddhas, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddhas.
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