“Is That So?”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Zen master, Master Hakuin Ekaku, was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.  A beautiful Japanese girl, whose parents owned a food store, lived near him.  Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.  This made her parents very angry.  She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment, at last named Hakuin. 

In great anger, the parents went to the master. “Is that so?” was all he would say. 

After the child was born, he was brought to Master Hakuin.  By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child.  He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else the little one needed. 

A year later the child’s mother could stand it no longer.  She told her parents the truth: that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market. 

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Master Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologise at length, and to get the child back again. 

Hakuin was willing.  In yielding the child, all he said was: “Is that so?”