Is That So?

image from: www.fineartamerica.com

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents 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 little one needed.

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

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

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

(Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps, "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones")

Demikiankah?

Guru Zen Hakuin dipuji oleh para tetangganya karena menjalani kehidupan suci.

Seorang gadis cantik anak dari pemilik toko makanan tinggal di dekatnya. Secara mengejutkan, tanpa ada peringatan sebelumnya, orang tua gadis itu mendapatkan anaknya hamil.

Hal ini membuat mereka sangat marah. Mereka meminta pengakuan siapakah ayah dari bayi tersebut, tetapi baru setelah dengan cara yang sangat kasar akhirnya nama Hakuin disebut.

Dengan sangat murka, kedua orang tua gadis itu pergi menuju tempat tinggal sang guru. "Demikiankah?" hanya itu diucapkan Hakuin.  

Setelah bayi itu lahir, dibawalah ke rumah Hakuin. Pada saat itu juga, seluruh reputasinya hancur, tetapi dia tidak memperdulikannya. Dia merawat bayinya dengan baik. Dia mendapatkan susu dari tetangganya dan segala kebutuhan si bayi.

Setahun kemudian ibu si bayi tidak kuat bertahan dengan kebohongannya lebih lama lagi. Dia memberi tahu orang tuanya bahwa sebetulnya ayah si bayi adalah pemuda yang bekerja di pasar ikan.

Kedua orang tuanya segera menemui Hakuin dan memohon pengampunan sedalam-dalamnya, dan membawa kembali bayi itu.

Hakuin dengan rela mengembalikannya. Sambil menyerahkan bayi itu, dia cuma berkata: "Demikiankah?"

(Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps, "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones")