You know those Zen questions - like "What's the sound of one hand clapping?", or "What is the meaning of Dharma coming from the West?"...
Well, someone asked me something which could well be a Zen koan of "identity". For background, you also need to know that the point at the beginning of a sumo bout where both fighters spontaneously start the contest is called the "tachi ai", which could be roughly translated as "rising as one". The tachi ai is signalled partly by the routine of the wrestlers entering and leaving the ring several times, purifying it with salt as they enter each time, and partly by the more practical step of both wrestlers placing both fists on the ground in readiness to 'launch'.
What I was asked was:
"If one holds to Western concepts of individual identity, is a real tachi ai possible?"
Answers via the comments function, please...
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