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A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil's storehouse of human knowledge
14-Jan-1983
Dear Cecil:
We were having a heated argument the other day that it's impossible to clap without
using both hands. But then someone piped up that the Chinese have found a way of clapping
using one hand only. Can they do it? Can anyone? --Frank N., Baltimore
Cecil replies:
I notice, Frank, that you hail from Baltimore, a city whose residents fall into one of two
categories, in my observation: (1) persons of exceeding wit and ingenuity, and (2)
complete idiots. Your letter, quite honestly, lends itself equally well to either
proposition. Let's start with the latter.
(1) You're an idiot. There is this thing called a "joke," Frank, that you
should become acquainted with. A joke is a display of cleverness intended to engender yux.
Some people, however, require advance notice if they're to recognize a joke when they see
one. In polite society it's customary when in the presence of such people to signal
the onset of a joke by means of some subtle stratagem, such as a siren, large firecracker,
or gong. Clearly your so-called friends could stand a lesson in thoughtfulness. For
further insight, see (2) below.
(2) You're a person of exceeding wit and ingenuity, and your letter is actually a
coy recasting of a famous Zen Buddhist koan, or riddle, such as Zen masters use to
instruct their pupils. The koan in question, devised by the Japanese Zen master
Hakuin (1686-1769), is as follows: In clapping both hands, a sound is heard. What is the
sound of one hand? (In casual discussion this is usually corrupted to: What is the sound
of one hand clapping?)
Unsophisticated persons are generally inclined to answer with something like "half a
clap," which signifies that they have not yet achieved Buddha nature. After several
years of dedicated meditating, however, they learn the correct response, which is to face
the questioner, assume an appropriate Buddhist posture, and without a word thrust one hand
forward. I learn this from The Sound of the One Hand: 281 Zen Koans With Answers
by Hau Hoo, which is my idea of an admirably no-bullshit approach to cosmic enlightenment.
I realize that the allegedly correct response in this case is a little on the enigmatic
side, but that is Zen Buddhism for you. It is by ruminating assiduously on such mysteries
that we learn to free our minds from the strictures of linear thinking and grasp the
essence of the void. Other effective methods of combating linear thinking are Quaaludes
and old Magnum P.I. reruns, two excellent examples of the way modern technology
enriches ancient religious practice.
The other Zen koan you may want to take note of is said to have been composed by the
Japanese Zen master Joshu (778-897), and goes as follows: Does a dog have Buddha nature?
The correct answer is Mooooo, uttered in a sort of plaintive bellow. In the
interest of perfect technical accuracy I should mention that the conventional spelling is Mu,
which is Zen Buddhist for "a question too dumb to be worth answering." However, Mooooo
works better for us midwesterners. Anyway, Frank, I am glad you brought up the
subject. We cannot learn about foreign cultures unless we ask.
FURTHER INSIGHT FROM THE TEEMING MILLIONS
Dear Cecil:
Re your recent discussion, the sound of one hand clapping is, as any true friend of
Jimmy Rockford can tell you, the sound of a slap in the face. --Evelyn M., San Quentin,
California
Cecil replies:
Once again I marvel at the subtle ways in which Westerners assimilate the wisdom of the
East.
--CECIL ADAMS
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