Silent Spirit

In the middle of the night, while I was sleeping, I heard a voice.

The voice told me the name “Yoshimasa Ashikaga.”

I opened my eyes halfway, typed the name into my phone, and immediately fell back asleep.

The next morning, I looked at the note.

I had heard of his family name, "Ashikaga," which is a very famous name in Japanese history.

However, I had not liked Japanese history as a student, so I did not know his first name and searched for it.

I then learned that he was a renowned, high-ranking shogun who was active in fifteenth-century Japan, and that in his later years, he built the Ginkaku-ji, which is known as the Silver Pavilion and is now a famous tourist destination in Kyoto.

I have visited Ginkaku-ji several times, and I remember liking it more than the golden Kinkaku-ji because of its quiet elegance within its simplicity.

I tried speaking to him, but there was no conversation.

Instead, he gave me a single message: “There is stillness within conflict, and conflict within stillness.”

I did not understand its meaning, but through searching, I learned that Ginkaku-ji is a Zen temple, and that he valued the spirit of Zen.

His message was almost like a Zen koan—a riddle-like question meant to guide one toward enlightenment.

So I closed my eyes, meditated, and tried to empty myself.

Then I saw a gentle ripple spreading in circles, like a drop of water falling into the center of a calm surface.

That ripple reminded me of the sand patterns in the garden of Ginkaku-ji.

And then, I did not understand his message with my mind, but sensed its meaning in my heart.

It is difficult to put my enlightenment into words, and writing it would move it further from the truth.

We all have our own truths, so within his message, you will surely find your own.

With gratitude,

Marie

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