The Paths to Heaven and Hell

The Paths to Heaven and Hell

A soldier named Nobushige, clad in tattered gear and sporting weaponry worse for wear, brazenly forced his way to see Hakuin, and finding him reposed in contemplation with an ancient book loudly and intrusively demanded: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" Without looking up, Hakuin voiced his inquiry. 

"I am a samurai," the warrior sticking his chest out proudly, responded.

"You, a samurai!" Hakuin half looking up grunted. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard?” Hakuin shook his head. “You resemble more a beggar." 

Once a proud warrior, Nobushige was highly incensed and so started to draw his sword, but Hakuin impassively simply added: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."

The outraged Nobushige now brandishing his sword, poised to strike Hakuin. 

Still composed, Hakuin simply remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed, somewhat ashamed.

"Here open the gates of paradise," Hakuin uttered, with a calm voice and an almost imperceptible smile. 

Fin

In the Hands of Destiny

In the Hands of Destiny

A great Japanese warrior named Nobunaga decided to attack the enemy although he had only one-tenth the number of men the opposition commanded. He knew that he would win, but his soldiers were in doubt.

On the way he stopped at a Shinto shrine and told his men: "After I visit the shrine I will toss a coin. If heads comes, we will win; if tails, we will lose. Destiny holds us in her hand."

Nobunaga entered the shrine and offered a silent prayer. He came forth and tossed a coin. Heads appeared. His soldiers were so eager to fight that they won their battle easily.

"No one can change the hand of destiny," his attendant told him after the battle.

"Indeed not, said Nobunaga, showing a coin which had been doubled, with heads facing either way.