Zen Comics: Wisdom Through Manga

Speaking Without Words

Culture Manga Lifestyle

Some understanding surpasses all words and can only be transferred through a kind of telepathy.
  • English
  • 日本語
  • 简体字
  • 繁體字
  • Français
  • Español
  • العربية
  • Русский

In Zen, the phrase 以心伝心 (ishin denshin) is used for the passing on of deep teachings, which cannot be explained through words alone, directly from the mind of master to disciple. By means of (以) the mind or heart (心), the lesson is conveyed (伝) to the other’s mind or heart (心). It is the only way such truths can be acquired. By extension, it has come to mean an emotional understanding that arises without the use of language. We can convey just a part of what we want to say with words, and the important thing is to work toward mutual understanding through any means possible.

Cast of Characters

The baker: Father of Noriko, the heroine of this series.
The apprentice.

One day at Noriko’s father’s bakery.
One day at Noriko’s father’s bakery.

Baker: “Don’t take it out yet. It won’t have risen properly.” Apprentice: “Give it 14 minutes and 52 seconds, and the bread will be perfect. I timed it earlier.”
Baker: “Don’t take it out yet. It won’t have risen properly.”
Apprentice: “Give it 14 minutes and 52 seconds, and the bread will be perfect. I timed it earlier.”

Apprentice: “Hmm, that’s odd.” Baker: “You see, just like I told you.”
Apprentice: “Hmm, that’s odd.”
Baker: “You see, just like I told you.”

“You can’t rely on numbers and words to make decisions. There’s the temperature, humidity, how you knead the dough, how it ferments, even the heat of the flames—every time these are different.”
“You can’t rely on numbers and words to make decisions. There’s the temperature, humidity, how you knead the dough, how it ferments, even the heat of the flames—every time these are different.”

Baker: “You’ve got to sense all the little changes in the dough and the flames, and then act on them!” Apprentice: . . . Sure, it’s easy for him to say that, but it’s not so easy . . .
Baker: “You’ve got to sense all the little changes in the dough and the flames, and then act on them!”
Apprentice: . . . Sure, it’s easy for him to say that, but it’s not so easy . . .

Every day the apprentice worked alongside the baker, and yet . . .
Every day the apprentice worked alongside the baker, and yet . . .

Apprentice: “What does that stuff about ‘the little changes’ even mean? I don’t get it.”
Apprentice: “What does that stuff about ‘the little changes’ even mean? I don’t get it.”

Apprentice: “Huh?”
Apprentice: “Huh?”

Apprentice: . . . Wow, the baker’s really focused. He’s watching to see if the bread’s done . . .
Apprentice: . . . Wow, the baker’s really focused. He’s watching to see if the bread’s done . . .

Apprentice: . . . Hmm, if the dough felt like it did earlier, and the flames are just so . . .
Apprentice: . . . Hmm, if the dough felt like it did earlier, and the flames are just so . . .

Apprentice: “Now’s the time!”
Apprentice: “Now’s the time!”

Apprentice: “Ahem, excuse me.”
Apprentice: “Ahem, excuse me.”

Baker: “That’s amazing. They’re perfect.” Apprentice: “I felt them! All the little changes you were talking about.”
Baker: “That’s amazing. They’re perfect.”
Apprentice: “I felt them! All the little changes you were talking about.”

Apprentice: “You told me, didn’t you? With your back!” Baker: “That’s right. I did.” . . . I can’t say now that I’d just drifted off. Well, it doesn’t matter . . .
Apprentice: “You told me, didn’t you? With your back!”
Baker: “That’s right. I did.” . . . I can’t say now that I’d just drifted off. Well, it doesn’t matter . . .

The End

(Originally published in Japanese on May 6, 2020. Manga by Mokutan Angelo. With thanks for the cooperation of Fujita Isshō of the Taikūzan Masenji temple.)

manga Zen