B KOAN Last year’s poverty was not yet perfect

 A

Here’s the complete koan attributed to the 9th-century monk Hsiang‑yen (also known as Kyōgen) after his moment of enlightenment:

**Last year’s poverty was not yet perfect;**
This year’s poverty is absolute.
In last year’s poverty there was room for the point of a gimlet;
In this year’s poverty even the gimlet is gone. (The Postmodern Quaker)

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🧘 Context & Meaning

• Origin story: Hsiang‑yen, after achieving enlightenment while gardening, shared this verse. His fellow monk Yang‑shan challenged it, so Hsiang‑yen composed this to convey the depth of his realization (The Postmodern Quaker).

• Zen progression: “Last year’s poverty” implies a stage of awakening with remnants of attachment (the gimlet—a tiny tool, or hold). “This year’s poverty” signifies complete emptiness and freedom, “even the gimlet is gone.”

Another version phrases it slightly differently:

My last year’s poverty was not real poverty;
This year’s is the real thing.
Last year a fine gimlet could find a place;
This year even the gimlet is gone. (Reddit)

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🌟 What the “Gimlet” Symbolizes

This diminutive tool represents lingering attachments or clinging, even in spiritual poverty. The koan contrasts two stages:

1. Partial emptiness… you still hold onto something small.

2. Absolute emptiness… all clinging—even to enlightenment itself—is relinquished.

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Next Steps in Reflection

• Meditate on each line: Feel the increasing depth of “poverty” — from almost free to completely free.

• Ask yourself: What is my “gimlet”? What am I still holding onto?

A

A gimlet is a small hand tool used for boring tiny holes in wood. It has a pointed screw tip and a handle for turning — think of it as a simple, old-fashioned drill.

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🛠️ Literal Meaning:

• Size: Very small — often used for delicate work.

• Function: Bores small holes with precision.

• Symbolism in the koan: Something so tiny it can find space even in tight places.

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🧘 Symbolic Meaning in the Koan:

In the context of the koan:

“Last year a gimlet could find a place; this year even the gimlet is gone.”

• “Gimlet” symbolizes a subtle clinging, desire, or ego — perhaps barely perceptible, but still present.

• In “last year’s poverty,” there was still a sliver of self remaining.

• In “this year’s poverty,” even that sliver is gone — no self, no grasping, no trace.

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Would you like a visual or poetic metaphor to go deeper into this?