Inka Speech

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.] The whole world is suffering. Sickness and death everywhere. For what purpose do we come into this world? Only to suffer?

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

No world, no coming, no going, no suffering, no happiness. What is your true substance, which passes beyond form and emptiness?

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

The whole world is just like this. Sky is blue, the trees are green. Water is wet. Sugar is sweet. Morning, sunrise; evening, sunset. Dog understands dog job, cat understands cat job. What is a human's correct job? Moment to moment, complete the great vows. Save all beings from suffering?

KATZ!

Standing here and talking with you inside the dharma room, many bright faces. Outside Hwa Gye Sah temple, the spring breeze is moving in the branches.

Zen. Then what?

Today with the compassionate help of our guiding teacher, I want to give a short speech about Zen Master Seung Sahn's "Just Do It Seven Bodhisattva Actions and Vows."

The basis of Zen is help: the basis of help is Zen. To attain Zen is to attain help, to attain help is to attain Zen. And what to help? And how to help? Every day, Zen Master Seung Sahn teaches us to help. Some of his teachings are moment to moment, just do it: seven bodhisattva actions and seven bodhisattva vows. What are these seven teachings?

1. Just do it! Keep don't know mind.
2. Just do it! Keep correct relationship, correct function and correct situation.
3. Just do it! Put it all down-my condition, my situation, my opinion. No wanting, no holding, no making, no checking, no attaching.
4. Just do it! Not for me. Great Wisdom, Great Compassion, Great Actions, and Great Vows.
5. Just do it! The true self, get enlightenment.
6. Just do it! Never leave your bodhisattva Vows.
7. Just do it! Keep dear mind only to help others, and try, try, try, for ten thousand years non-stop.

Moment to moment, help save all beings from suffering. Life after life, continue for infinite time and infinite space. So, let us just do it. Moment to moment never leave Zen Master Seung Sahn's bodhisattva actions and vows to help others. Then this whole world is our bodhisattva world.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

More than 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in this world like this.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

Over 1,500 years ago, Bodhidharma came to China like this.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

In 1972, Zen Master Seung Sahn went to America, like this.

What is just like this?

KATZ!

How may l help you? [standing bow] Thank you for listening to my dharma speech.

? The Kwan Um School of Zen