O-nami-The Great Waves

By Staff

Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 17:11

There was a well known wrestler called O-nami in the Meiji era. His name O-nami meant 'Great Waves' He was a strong wrestler who had a deep knowledge in the art of wrestling. In private bouts, O-nami even outdid his master, however in public due to his bashful nature he was won by his own pupils. O-nami hence felt that he should seek the help of a Zen master.

O-nami sought the help of a Zen master, Hakuju, a wandering master who had halted in a small temple close by. He confided his problem to Hakuju. The master said, “Great Waves is your name? Then stay in the temple tonight and imagine you are those huge waves gulping everything before them and no longer a wrestler who is afraid. Follow this and you will be the greatest wrestler in your land."

O-nami sat down to practise the master's advice. He tried to imagine that he was the huge waves. In the beginning, his mind wandered. Gradually he directed his thoughts more and more to the feeling of the waves. As night approached, the waves became really huge and they swept away the flowers in the vases and even the idol of Buddha. Soon the little temple was an immense sea with the rise and fall of huge waves.

At day break, the master found O-nami in deep meditation. With a small smile across his face, he patted O-nami out of his meditation and said “You are those waves, and you will sweep anything and everything before. You will not be disturbed by anything, anymore"

The same day, O-nami won the wrestling contest and from henceforth won all the contests, that there was none in Japan who could win him in wrestling.