One Hand Clapping: Zen Stories for All Ages

by Rafe Martin, Manuela Soares, Junko Morimoto (Illustrations)

A collection of traditional tales used for teaching the basic principles of Zen Buddhism, including The Tigers and the Strawberry, The Zen Master and the Samurai, and A Silver Cat.

Genres: Spirituality, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 1995

About the author

Rafe Martin is an award-winning author and storyteller, as well as a lay Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani koan line. He is founding teacher of Endless Path Zendo, Rochester, NY.

He is the recipient of the prestigious Empire State Award for the body of his work, as well as multiple American Library Association Notable Book Awards and Parent's Choice Gold Awards. He has been featured at such storytelling events as the Joseph Campbell Festival of Myth and Story, The Sierra Storytelling Festival, and the National Storytelling Festival. He is the father of two grown children and lives with his wife, Rose, in Rochester, NY.

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice sampling of the most famous Zen stories of all time. Great for teens as well. One example is the great Zen master Hakuin, who lived in 18th century Japan. He would hold up his hand to his students and ask, "Listen to the sound of a single hand." Or, "What is the sound of a single hand?" All of Zen is similar to what I call the Cranberry Moment.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely little book. Despite the fact that ownership is anathema to the philosophy, this is a book to purchase. I could not come anywhere close to appreciating it by reading a library copy with a due date. Art is beautiful and true, stories told gracefully, extra matter helpful, format just the right size to see the art but still conveniently hold the book.

Highly recommended, especially to fans of Jon J. Muth for his books like The Three Questions while waiting for him to publish more.

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sound of one hand clapping is
like the sound of a bird’s wing flapping.

[Jaide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely! Illustrations *and* stories.

Of course, I don’t understand all of them, but there were quite a few I really loved for their calm simplicity.

Namely “The Cherry Blossoms” (about the nun Rengetsu), “Mountains and Rivers”, and “Becoming Buddha” (about how meditation alone won’t get us where we need to be, but actually living what we believe.)

[Benjamin Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A fragrant bouquet of Zen flowers that do not talk but say so much, adapted and retold by that masterful storyteller Rafe Martin. "One Hand Clapping" is a book parents and children are going to enjoy sharing." -Philip Kapleau. It contain gentle lessons, and some of my favorites Zen tales like "The Zen Master and the Samurai", "The Three Answers", "The Art of Swordsmanship", and "Saigyo at the Ferry". With beautiful illustrations by Junko Morimoto,it's a book that reflect the tranquility, the wit, and power of these stories.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of very short stories which are deceptively simple and loaded with meaning and insight. The tales are accompanied by pleasing illustrations which make the book a pleasant and thoughtful read. I found that it's best to read the book slowly in order to digest the subtle messages.

[Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet and simple telling of zen and buddist proverbs. When reading the conclusion of one of the tales, to my 9 year old son he said "wooh" as if a line of logic, had suddenly become clear.

[Rev. Sharon Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely collection with beautiful, simple illustrations. A book to savor.