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'Winter on a Farm' ... Easton, ME
There is nothing known of Kakua after he left the palace...
Kakua (b. 1142) is recognized as the first Japanese to study Zen in China. He did not travel, dwelling in a forest in meditation. When found by others, he would be asked to preach on Zen. Kakua would oblige, speaking a few words. Then, he would hide in another part of the forest.
When Kakua returned to Japan, the emperor was told of him. The emperor had Kakua brought to him. He commanded Kakua to preach at the court.
Kakua stood in the court in silence. Soon, he pulled out a flute from the folds of his robe. He played one short note, bowed to the emperor, and left.
In one short note, Kakua preached the wisdom of Zen. He knew if the emperor did not hear the truth in that one note, it was futile to preach a sermon of many words. He, seeming to see the futility of what he had been asked to do, wisely exited the court.
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Jesus spoke -
Do not give what is holy to dogs - they will only turn and attack you. Do not throw your pearls in front of pigs - they will only trample them underfoot.
*Gospel of Matthew 7.6 (GNT)
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I entered church ministry when a teen. I spent many years in training - 15 after high school. I fell in love with truth - not doctrine, not confessions, not creeds -, delighted in the search for knowledge. I came to see all truth is God's truth, so why be afraid of it? I preached and taught for almost four decades, and I discovered a hard-won lesson: few persons, religious or non-religious, have any interest in the truth. They may want to be consoled by agreement with what they already believe... but the truth? Often, they become very unkind when challenged to think for themselves. I became wiser: I no longer preach, and while still religious, I shun talking about religion. I find it wiser to let my presence do the talking, not my mouth. One who does not learn from my silence will likely not learn from my words.
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*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2021
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse. The book is a collection of poems based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.
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