Koan Kreativity IX
Using Ancient Wisdom to Inspire Modern Creativity
Presented as either a riddle or tale, the koan is instrumental to the Zen student’s path to enlightenment; by opening and freeing the mind from both outer and inner restrictions, the “empty mind” of the Zen student is more open to insight and realization that could be achieved in no other way.
As artists and creative people we, too, need the benefit of an “empty mind.” Our own creative insights and realizations become more tangible and workable when we clear away the clutter of fear, apathy, negativity, and all other potentially destructive restrictions that we may have learned in our lives.
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Three More Days
Suiwo, the disciple of Hakuin, was a good teacher. During one summer seclusion period, a pupil came to him from a southern island of Japan.
Suiwo gave him the problem: “Hear the sound of one hand.”
The pupil remained for three years but could not pass the test. One night he came in tears to Suiwo, “I must return south in shame and embarrassment,” he said, “for I cannot solve my problem.”
“Wait one more week and meditate constantly,” advised Suiwo. Still no enlightenment came to the pupil. “Try for another week,” said Suiwo. The pupil obeyed, but in vain.
“Still another week.” Yet this was of no avail. In despair, the student begged to be released but Suiwo requested another meditation of five days. They were without result.
Then he said: “Meditate for three days longer then, if you fail to attain enlightenment, you had better kill yourself.”
On the second day, the pupil was enlightened.
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How much time do we have left in this life? Three more decades? Three more years? Three more days? Three more minutes? More? Less?
In the movie Fight Club, Tyler Durden drags Raymond K. Hessel, a convenience store clerk, into a back alley and puts a pistol to Raymond’s head as part of a “human sacrifice” homework assignment. While rifling through Raymond’s wallet, Tyler finds an expired community college I.D. card; after repeated questioning, he learns that Raymond wanted to become a veterinarian, but he left school because there was too much work involved.
“Would you rather be dead?” Tyler asks the terrified Raymond. “Would you rather die here, on your knees, in the back of a convenience store?”
Tyler then holsters his pistol and tells Raymond, “I’m going to check in on you. I know where you live. If you’re not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in six weeks, you will be dead.”
Raymond gets up off of his knees and runs away, enlightened.
What will it take for us to become enlightened and finally do our creative work? How much time to we have left?
