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Kwan Um School of Zen

Dharma Talk with Jon at Cambridge Zen Center

audio, medium, Teachings, UncategorizedZen Master Seung SahnMarch 16, 1984
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This Universe Gives Us Everything

Teachings, UncategorizedZen Master Seung SahnMarch 31, 1984
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Yong Maeng Jong Jin

audio, medium, Teachings, UncategorizedZen Master Soeng HyangFebruary 18, 1984Cambridge Zen Center, National Teacher, Open-heartedness
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[Explaining a calligraphy with the characters Dae Do Mu Mun.] Dae Do means "great way"; Mu Mun means "no gate." If you insert an English word, it reads, "The great way has no gate." Great way doesn't mean greater than anything else. Great here has the connotation of complete. To realize the complete way is to be completely in touch with what is, moment by moment; not to be holding back and living in some imaginary world of shackles, chains, fantasies, yearnings, hopes, longings, regrets, and all the other things we get caught up in. The great way has no gate. The word gate has a dual connotation. A gate, of course, is something that opens and closes. It also has the connotation of a barrier. Sometimes that word is translated as checkpoint, like the barrier that exists between one country and another, the place where you show your passport. The great way has no barrier, no gate. In one sense that means that wherever we are, at that moment — whatever our activity, if we are entering it completely and not getting caught up in separating subject from object and inside from outside — then, at that moment, there is no barrier, no gate. The gate has already been opened. There is no hindrance, no obstacle, only an enlightened way of being and functioning in the world. —Zen Master Wu Kwang (Richard Shrobe) (Photo by Allan Matthews.) #zen #nogate #greatway #nohindrance #kwanumzen
"There is actually nowhere else for us to become a Buddha but right now, in this place." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #buddha #meditation #moment #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
You must decide to practice and very strongly keep this decision. This requires great faith, great courage, and great questioning. What is great faith? Great faith means that at all times you keep the mind which decided to practice no matter what. It is like a hen sitting on her eggs. She sits on them constantly, caring for them and giving them warmth, so that they will hatch. If she becomes careless or negligent the eggs will not hatch and will not become chicks. So Zen mind means always and everywhere believing in myself. I vow to become Buddha and save all people. Next, what is great courage? This means bringing all your energy to one point. It is like a cat hunting a mouse. The mouse has retreated into its hole, but the cat waits outside the hole for hours on end without the slightest movement. It is totally concentrated on the mouse hole. This is Zen mind cutting off all thinking and directing all your energy to one point. Next, great questioning. This is like a child who thinks only of its mother, or a man dying of thirst who thinks only of water. It is called one mind. If you question with great sincerity, there will only be don’t know mind. If you keep these three, great faith, great courage, and great questioning, you will soon attain enlightenment. —Zen Master Seung Sahn (Photo by Sven Mahr.) #zen #buddhism #greatfaith #greatcourage #greatdoubt #meditation #buddha #zenmind #onemind #enlightenment #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
Zen Master Seung Sahn with Jakusho Kwong Roshi (at left) and Taizan Maezumi Roshi (on right) during the Whole World Is a Single Flower Conference 1993, Korea. #throwbackthursday #kwanumzen #zmseungsahn #wwsf
"When we are really stuck, when we don't know, when we have this 'don't-know' completely, then everything, whatever you hear, whatever you see, what you touch, everything becomes Buddha." Quote by Zen Master Gu Ja. #zen #buddha #meditation #thinking #kwanumzen
"If you want to attain the truth, you must have a revolution in your mind." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #truth #revolution #becomeone #moment #freedom #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
All these years of training taught me that there is just a fine thread between life and death. When you attain “before thinking,” there is no life, no death. Zen Master Seung Sahn said that just to perceive life is life, and death is death, is not enough. One more step is necessary. This step is how to use our situation and karma to help all beings. That is great love, great compassion, the great Bodhisattva way. That is our direction. So if we practice, then we can use—and even change—our situation and karma for ourselves, as well as for the people around us. If we are not practicing, then we will be controlled by our karma and situation. We have no freedom from life and death. This is the most precious teaching I ever received. —Zen Master Dae Kwan (Photo by Sven Mahr.) #zen #lifeanddeath #karma #compassion #bodhisattva #freedom #kwanumzen
"Understanding kong-ans is not important." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #koans #dailylife #understanding #moment #connect #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
Deciding to practice is very important. Why do you come into this world? Human beings originally have no meaning and no direction. But if you can find your correct direction and help all beings, then great direction appears. That’s your job. That’s a human being’s correct job. So what is a human being’s correct job? Human beings are originally nothing. The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng said “originally nothing.” But that’s just an idea; you must attain “nothing” and find your correct job. This is very important. The Heart Sutra says no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. This is our practicing technique. See, not see. Hear, not hear. Taste, not taste. Only one mind. One mind means no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. Then Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi appears; this is truth. Open eyes. Open ears. Open mouth. Open your body. Open your mind. Then you can see: my job AAAAAAHHH… I understand my job! Understanding your job means Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. That’s “truth.” You must attain truth. Next, how does truth correctly function? Truth’s correct function is to help all beings. That’s a very important point. That’s the meaning of gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Everyone attains nirvana together – together-action. Nirvana is the place of together-action. —Zen Master Seung Sahn #zen #human #heartsutra #annutarasamyaksambodhi #truth #correctionfunction #nirvana #togetheraction #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen

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