I've had Hakuin on the mind these past few days, since two teishos in sesshin were dedicated to looking at his Zazen Wasan, the "Chant in Praise of Zazen."
I find him absolutely admirable. He was relentless in his personal determination to see into the Great Matter, yet he knew when he was making a mistake and took pains to correct it. He was gentle and accommodating with folks who needed him to be gentle and accommodating. He was ruthless with those who slandered or diminished or mocked or undervalued the Dharma, even if they were in robes – no, particularly if they were in robes! He was single-handedly able to breathe new life into a Zen grown stale.
What manner of man can do that? What zeal, what ardor, what unabashed love for the Dharma!
Practice as I have come to know it wouldn't exist without him, and for that alone, I owe him the deepest debt of gratitude.
I find him absolutely admirable. He was relentless in his personal determination to see into the Great Matter, yet he knew when he was making a mistake and took pains to correct it. He was gentle and accommodating with folks who needed him to be gentle and accommodating. He was ruthless with those who slandered or diminished or mocked or undervalued the Dharma, even if they were in robes – no, particularly if they were in robes! He was single-handedly able to breathe new life into a Zen grown stale.
What manner of man can do that? What zeal, what ardor, what unabashed love for the Dharma!
Practice as I have come to know it wouldn't exist without him, and for that alone, I owe him the deepest debt of gratitude.
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