A boon for meditation studying

The New York Times had an article today about a donation made by the Dalai Lama to the University of Wisconsin to study meditation. I think this is a positive development. If only meditation were used by more people as a positive tool, we might have a more peace and wisdom in the world.

Hakuin

The dharma talk today is an excerpt from Hakuin's writings on kensho.

Here is a brief story about Hakuin (1686-1769).

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near Hakuin. One day, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child. This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the child needed.

A year later the girl could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"