Is that so…?
A beautiful girl lived in a village with her parents. One day, the parents found her pregnant. They were very annoyed and wanted to know who was the father of her child. The anxious and embarrassed girl said Hakuin’s name. Hakuin was the Zen master whom everyone in the village revered for living a pure life. The outraged parents confronted Hakuin. But he simply replied
“Is that so?”
When the child was born. By that time, everyone in the village hated the master. The parents brought it to the Zen Master and demanded that the child is his responsibility and he should take care of it. The master accepted the child camly and said
“Is that so?”
He took very good care of the child for months. The young mother could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed to her parents that the real father was a young man working in the nearby market whom she was trying to protect. The parents immediately went to the master and explained to him what has actually happened and begged his pardon. They wished to take the baby back. The master handed over the child with a smile and said
“Is that so?”