Easter Prelude C. Callahan
Susan Addington, Flute
Improvisation
Bankei Yotaku (1622-1693) was one of the most renowned Japanese Zen Masters. His father was a Confucian scholar and a samurai who turned to the practice of medicine. In school, Bankei studied the usual Confucian classics, which confused him greatly. So he seized most every chance to question others on their knowledge. He would implore Confucian and Buddhist scholars and attend various religious gatherings in search of answers. All of this, however, proved futile. He became so distraught in his need to find answers that school was no longer a priority, and in 1633 he was kicked out of his family home. A family friend, Yūkan Nakahori, built a small hut for him behind his house.
Only 25 years old, he became so sick from his austere lifestyle that he was coughing up blood. In hindsight, he realized his suffering had been needless, that the Buddha mind, the ‘Unborn Mind’ — the mind we had before we were born, before we adopted all the labels with which we label ourselves — this mind he had been looking for with so much intensity had been with him all along. And it was an inextricable and fundamental part of him.
Bankei became the most popular Buddhist preacher of his era. People trekked from every corner of Japan to hear his talks, and the overflow audiences of thousands had to be accommodated in separate shifts. He was keen to popularize Zen and was happy for his students to work ‘in the real world’ instead of leading a monastic life.
During one of Bankei’s meditation classes, a student was caught stealing. The problem was presented to the Japanese master, and those who caught him asked that he be expelled. Instead, Bankei ignored the student’s misdeed.
A few days later, the student was caught stealing again, and Bankei again ignored the problem. This infuriated the other students. They signed a petition demanding that the thief be expelled.
When Bankei read the petition, he summoned all his students.
“You are wise,” he told them. “You know what is right and what is wrong. You can go elsewhere to study if you want, but this poor brother of ours does not even know what is good and what is evil. Who will teach him if I don’t? I’m going to keep him here, even if there’s no one left but him.”
Tears began to flow down the face of the student who stole. His desire to steal was gone.