Looking for Human Beings
Mu Sang Sunim helped Zen Master Seung Sahn in the writing of these poems. He says that working with Dae Soen Sa Nim was a joy.
Shower
Please give my Buddha doll a shower, OK?
Please give my Christ doll a shower, OK?
Please give my Confucius doll a shower, OK?
You come too!
OK.
Sha! Sha! Sha!
Sha! Sha! Sha!
Sha! Sha! Sha!
Clean! Clean! Clean!
Clean! Clean! Clean!
Clean! Clean! Clean!
Buddha’s smiling.
Christ’s very happy.
Confucius has a warm glow.
Did you have lunch?
No.
Then let’s go eat.
Chop! Chop! Chop!
Dancing Time!
Around! Around! Around!
Hugging Buddha, dancing.
Hugging Christ, dancing.
Hugging Confucius, dancing.
La! La! La!
Li! Li! Li!
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Dang! Dang! Dang!
September 1, 1982
Looking for Human Beings
No human beings! No human beings!
Not in New York, not in L.A., not in Washington!
Not in the mountains, not in the rivers.
Where’d they all go?
Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!
Look at me!
Helloooo!
Ah!
Here’s one!
Don’t cry! Don’t cry, OK.
Would you like some chocolate or some ice cream?
July 1982
If No I
Looking at green mountain.
Only green.
Looking at river.
Only flowing.
Singing together with the birds.
Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!
Dancing together with the rabbits.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Great! Great! Fantastic!
A-Ha! Ha! Ha!
Eh! Heh! Heh!
Duh-dung-dung-dung!
Da-dang-dang-dang!
My darling, my darling!
Want to go home?
Let’s go!
Clump! Clump! Clump!
Sun sets over Western Mountain
Moon rises, East Mountain.
July 1992
Where Is Mine?
Eyes are not mine.
Ears are not mine.
Nose is not mine.
Mouth is not mine.
Hands are not mine.
Lips are not mine.
Body also is not mine.
Is the mountain mine?
Is the water mine?
Is time mine?
Is space mine?
No! No! No!
Where is mine?
Emptiness! Emptiness! Emptiness!
Hello out there!
Can you hear my voice?
Stillness! Stillness!
AAAK!
The sky is high
The water is deep.
Dog barking, Woof! Woof!
Cat meowing, Meow! Meow!
Take a nap!
Zzz! Zzz! Zzz!
1982
Who Are You?
Are you a man or a demon?
You’re making demon sounds.
Make your own sounds.
What do you want?
Do you know that demons become men, and men become demons?
Do you mean, men and demons are the same?
Put it all down!
Just bring me a book.
Hit it once.
Duh-dung-dung-dung!
Da-dang-dang-dang!
Demons and men dancing together!
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Aha-heh!
Wind blowing.
Trees dancing.
Mountains deep.
Sky, wide.
July 1982
You and Me
Are you me?
Am I you?
Where did you come from?
Where did you come from?
You don’t know!
You don’t know!
Don’t say you!
Don’t say you!
Only don’t-know!
Only don’t-know!
Don’t-know!
YAAT! Hit!
What did the bird say?
Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!
What did the dog say?
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Heard the sound of the chicken.
Heard the sound of the dog.
Go and dance!
Boom-ba-da-bam-bam!
Boom-ba-da-bam-bam!
Boom-ba-da-bam-bam!—Bam!
August 8, 1982
Sound
Water, Dol! Dol! Dol!
Bird, Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!
Wind, Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
Dog, Woof! Woof! Woof!
Where are these sounds coming from?
Coming from the water?
Coming from the bird?
Coming from the wind?
Coming from the dog?
No! No! No! No!
My ear?
No! No! No! No!
My mind?
Maybe!
Where does you mind come from?
The sound and your mind, are they the same or different?
Same!
Hit thirty times.
Different!
Hit thirty times.
Don’t know!
KATZ!
Wooden bird, riding water sound, flies to Heaven.
Stone dog, carrying wind sound, into Hell.
Crazy, crazy!
Wake up!
Water, Dol! Dol! Dol!
Bird, Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!
Wind, Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!]
Dog, Woof! Woof! Woof!
August 8, 1982
Wake Up!
Aaaaaaah!
July 24, 1982, 9 a.m.
New York Zen Center.
Oh!
Overslept!
High buildings, low buildings, laughing.
Ha! Ha! Ha!
The sun’s already high in the eastern sky.
July 24, 1982
I Am a Corpse
I am a corpse.
Oh! There’s the blue sky,
The water flowing.
How can I be a corpse?
I don’t even know what I am,
How can I be anything but a corpse?
The dog barks, Woof! Woof!
The birds chirp, Cheep! Cheep!
How can I be a corpse?
Do you know yourself?
You don’t know?
That’s how come you’re a corpse!
I am a corpse.
Salty taste.
Sweet taste.
How can I be a corpse?
Tok!
Ouch!
Don’t be the slave of your tongue!
Are you hungry?
Just eat—don’t taste it!
Chop! Chop! Chop!
August 29, 1982