Zen Master Man Gong (1871-1946), the grandteacher of Zen Master Seung Sahn, was once given a geomungo, the Korean six-string zither, by a prince of the late Joseon Dynasty. The instrument was originally made by the last king of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 14th century. On receiving this gift, Man Gong gave the following dharma speech:
One pluck of a string . . .
What sound is this?
This is the clear song of substance.
One pluck of a string . . .
What sound is this?
This is the clear song of one word.
One pluck of a string . . .
What sound is this?
This is the clear song of clearness.
One pluck of a string . . .
What sound is this?
A song beyond the infinite time of a stone statue’s mind.
Ooooooooops!
Photo by Thomas Helbig
This story first appeared in the November 2009 Providence Zen Center newsletter
Wonderful! But what will happen if a string will snap? *tzinnnnnng*
Posted by: Uku | November 10, 2009 at 12:34 PM