What is the sound of one hand clapping?

[Mikal]

.

 

[Locutus of Board]

Try slapping it into your head and let us know.

 

[nirgis]

its the slight sound that the fingers make when striking the palm. Have you been watching the simpsons again?

 

[nirgis]

Locutus of Board- LOL

 

[Jex]

<< its the slight sound that the fingers make when striking the palm. Have you been watching the simpsons again? >>



Ha ha. LOL! &quot;It's funny 'cause it true!&quot;

 

[palad]

Unsophisticated persons are generally inclined to answer with something like &quot;half a clap,&quot; which signifies that they have not yet achieved Buddha nature. After several years of dedicated meditating, however, they learn the correct response, which is to face the questioner, assume an appropriate Buddhist posture, and without a word thrust one hand forward. I learn this from The Sound of the One Hand: 281 Zen Koans With Answers by Hau Hoo, which is my idea of an admirably no-bull**** approach to cosmic enlightenment.

The Straight Dope comes to the rescue again!

 

[Mikal]

Locutus: typical unenlightened approach.

 

[Alienwho]

one hand? hell...I don't even know what the sound of two hands clapping is

 

[UG]

It is the sound of God.

 

[UG]

 

[Mikal]

UG, what's Pepe got to do with it?

 

[Buddhist]

&quot;assume an appropriate Buddhist posture, and without a word thrust one hand forward.&quot;

LOL

 

[UG]

What's Pepe got to do with it?

Don't you hear/see/know?

 

[Mikal]

But, UG, I don't have to think for myself. Pepe is my guide!!

 

[Looney]

If you seriously want to know... there are no 'correct' answers despite what the Straightdope says. Those are correct responses to a koan (as opposed to a correct answer), but a koan is simply a paradoxic riddle with no correct answer. It attempts to teach the zen Buddhist to stop thinking rationally... to stop from trying to rationalize everything, and let enlightenment come, instead of trying to force it through rationalization.

 

[yakko]

 

[yakko]

See above reply.

 

[UG]

<...stop...trying to rationalize everything, and let enlightenment come,..>>

A crazed murderer was irrational. The arresting LEO, the convicting jury, the sentencing judge all were rational.

The wellspring of true enlightenment is irrationalism...???

Right.