Mokusen's Hand
A monk named Mokusen was practicing in a temple. He always kept one hand tightly clenched. No one knew why.
His master, Haryo, noticed this and asked,
"
Mokusen, why do you always keep your hand closed?" Mokusen replied,
"It is because I hold something precious." Haryo said,
"Open your hand.
Show me." Mokusen slowly opened his empty hand.
Haryo then said,
"What more do you hold?
Open the other hand, too."
Reflection
Mokusen's habit of keeping one hand clenched suggests he is grasping at emptiness itself. Haryo's instruction to open both hands reveals that true liberation is not about holding onto anything, not even emptiness. The empty hand is itself the precious thing – no need to clutch. The koan exposes the subtle trap of making a possession out of non-attachment.