Ryonen's Clear Realization
The nun Ryonen was deeply troubled by the impermanence of beauty.
She sought out the master Hakuin, presenting a poem she had written: "
I longed to draw Ryonen's face in its youthful prime, but it has already vanished without a trace." Hakuin studied her verse. He then took his brush and boldly crossed out every character.
Ryonen stared at the obliterated words. In that instant, she attained clear realization.
Reflection
Ryonen's poem laments the loss of youth and beauty; Hakuin crosses out every character. The act obliterates not just the words but the very notion of a self that could be young or old. In that erasure, Ryonen sees directly that her true nature never was born and never dies. The story illustrates that awakening is not about understanding impermanence but about seeing through the illusion of a self that undergoes change.