Zen Koans Explained: "Children of His Majesty"
People fear showing themselves in public without clothes. But why? Can you imagine if horses did the same thing? Horses with clothes... the hooved folly.
The koan: "Children of His Majesty"
Yamaoka Tesshu was a tutor of the emperor. He was also a master of fencing and a profound student of Zen.
His home was the abode of vagabonds. He had but one suit of clothes, for they kept him always poor.
The emperor, observing how worn his garments were, gave Yamaoka some money to buy new ones. The next time Yamaoka appeared he wore the same old outfit.
"What became of the new clothes, Yamaoka?" asked the emperor.
"I provided clothes for the children of Your Majesty," explained Yamaoka.
The enlightenment: "I see," said the emperor. "Are these the same 'children' that got my microwave? And the missing jewelry?"
Yamaoka averted his eyes. "I'm clean, I swear."
This has been "Zen Koans Explained." The force of constant propulsion.
