Is That So?

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

This is one of my all time favorite parables - an example in taking

care of our responsibilities without attachment , accepting whatever

comes in life as the prasad of God .

 

My thanks to the original unknown author.

Jai Maa

Nanda

 

================================

A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents

demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess,

the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen

master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life.

When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's

accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?"

 

When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who

now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that

he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that

so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.

 

For many months he took very good care of the child until the

daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She

confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom

she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to

see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they

explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed

them the child.