NEW YORK — The publication of J.D. Salinger's "Nine Stories" introduced a new generation of Americans to a Zen Buddhist koan roughly translated as, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
This koan, which is an aid to meditation that cannot be solved by logical thinking, can be traced back to the 18th century Zen master Hakuin Ekaku.
Hakuin, who was also a brilliant and prolific painter, is virtually unknown to American audiences. Now, in the hopes of remedying that situation, the Japan Society in New York is staging the first retrospective of Hakuin's work in the United States.