ORYMA Wellness Foundation

Koke and the Wise Horse

Long, long ago, in a land far away,
Lived Koke, a monk who taught every day.
With his kind heart and wisdom so bright,
He shared the Dharma, bringing truth to light.

One day, the Emperor Doko, with a smile on his face,
Gave Koke a horse, a grand, special grace.
"Ride it with joy, ride it so fast,
For you’ve taught us so much, your wisdom will last!"

So Koke rode off, feeling proud and so grand,
Galloping through fields, over hills, and the sand.
But oh! The horse ran wild, with a jump and a leap,
And Koke fell off, landing with a thud, not so neat!

His leg was hurt, oh, it hurt so much,
Koke hobbled back with a limp and a crutch.
As he walked to the temple, slow and steady,
He met a monk, standing, calm, and ready.

"Do you know me?" Koke asked with a smile,
"Of course I know you, you’ve taught us for a while!"
The monk laughed softly, his eyes full of glee,
Koke chuckled, “Here’s a teacher who can’t even walk, you see!”

"Once I taught the Dharma, shared wisdom so bright,
But now I stumble, oh what a sight!
Even a wise one can fall, it’s true,
But that’s part of the journey, just like me and you."

The monk nodded, "Yes, it’s how we all grow,
By falling, we learn how to stand and glow."

Later that day, at a stupa so tall,
Koke met another monk, wise and small.
"What should we speak of before this grand place?"
Asked Koke kindly, with a thoughtful face.

"If one tells a lie," Koke said with a grin,
"Ten thousand will share it, and the lie will win."
The monk looked puzzled, then began to see,
Truth is a treasure, as deep as the sea.

As Koke walked on, he met Hoju (a disciple of Rinzai) and Tanku (a fellow disciple),
Two monks who were friends, and wise as can be too.
Hoju asked, “What should we do if we find,
A person who hasn’t yet put away the Second and Third Roots ?”

Tanku replied with a twinkle in his eye,
“You’ve made a mistake, Hoju, I can’t deny.”
Hoju smiled and said with a wink,
“You too have made a mistake, don’t you think?”

Tanku laughed and held out his hand,
“Let’s be friends, we’ll both understand!”
Hoju laughed too, his hand by his side,
“You old robber!” he said, with joy and pride.

Moral of the Story:

Even the wisest may stumble and fall,
But that’s when we learn and stand tall.
Truth can sometimes hide and disguise,
But wisdom is found when we open our eyes!

The Question and Its Meaning
Hoju, a disciple of Rinzai, asked Tanku:
"When a man comes to you who has not put away the Second and Third Roots, how do you receive him?"
• The Three Roots (Poisons) in Buddhism:
o Desire (Greed)
o Hatred (Anger)
o Ignorance (Delusion)

Tanku replies: "You have, in bringing up this question, already made a mistake."
•His reasoning:
o A person still full of desire, hatred, and ignorance will never seek a master in the first place.

Hoju responds: "You also have not avoided error."
• Meaning:
o By answering, you have engaged in the mistake too.
o True wisdom needs no explanation; silence would have been a better answer.

The Zen Playfulness: A Deep Friendship
• Tanku, acknowledging the playfulness, says: "Be my friend!"
• Hoju humorously responds: "You old robber!"
o Meaning in Zen: "You have robbed my heart!" – a sign of deep respect and friendship.