The Truth Goes Home

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Thursday, February 12, 2009, 11:47

Ryokan's nephew was discharged with the duty to manage the family estate as Ryokan had devoted his life to the study of Zen. The nephew however spent the money on a courtesan despite the admonitions of relatives. Fear gripped his people of the wealth being in threat of dissipation and degeneration soon.
The anxious relatives put a word to Ryokan to check the ways of his nephew.

Ryon travelled a long way in order to visit his nephew whom he had not met for several years. The nephew was very pleased to meet him and invited him to stay overnight. Ryokan succumbed to the invitation and spent the whole night in meditation.

Dawn rose for Ryokan to rise from his meditation as departing time closed in. When he was about to leave he requested his nephew to help him fasten his string of his straw sandal claiming that old age had caught up on him and that his hands were shaky. The nephew willingly helped his uncle with his sandals. Ryokan thanked him and said : "A man gets older and feebler day by day. Take good care of yourself" Saying this he left without a word of the courtesan or the complaints of the relatives. The truth went home and from that very morning the nephew turned over a new leaf.