A00174 - Seung Sahn, Korean Seon Master Who Was One of the Early Korean Zen Masters to Settle in the United States

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Sahn, Sueng

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Seungsahn 숭산
Seungsahn (1927–2004)
Title	Dae Jongsa - Seonsanim (Great Zen Master)
Personal life
Born	Dok-In Lee / 이덕인 / 李德仁 August 1, 1927 Sunchon, occupied Korea (now Sunchon, North Korea)
Died	November 30, 2004 (aged 77) Hwagaesa, Seoul, South Korea
Education	Dongguk University
Other names	Dae Soensa-nim Soensa-nim
Religious life
Religion	Jogye Order of Korean Seon
School	Kwan Um School of Zen
Senior posting
Predecessor	Kobong
Successor	Soenghyang Chang Sik Kim
Website	www.kwanumzen.org

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"A long time ago, Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am."  This is where philosophy begins.  But if you are not thinking, what?  This is where Zen practice begins."  (06/05/2025)

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"Zen has a very simple and direct teaching style.  Zen means that if you want to understand what a watermelon is, you take a watermelon, get a knife, and cut the watermelon.  Then you put a slice in your mouth -- boom! Your experience!" (08/19/2025)

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Seungsahn Haengwon (Korean: 숭산행원대선사; Hanja: 崇山行願大禪師; RR: Sungsan Haengwon Daeseonsa, August 1, 1927 – November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early Korean Zen masters to settle in the United States, he opened many temples and practice groups across the globe. He was known for his charismatic style and direct presentation of Zen, which was well tailored for the Western audience.

Known by students for his many correspondences with them through letters, his utilization of dharma combat and expressions such as "only don't know" or "only go straight" in teachings, he was conferred the honorific title of Dae Jong Sa in June 2004 by the Jogye Order for a lifetime of achievements. Considered the highest honor to have bestowed upon one in the order, the title translates "Great Lineage Master" and was bestowed for his establishment of the World Wide Kwan Um School of Zen. He died in November that year at Hwagaesa in Seoul, South Korea, at age 77.

Early life and education

Seung Sahn was born in 1927 as Duk-In Lee (modern romanisation: Yi Deog'in) in Sunchon (순천), South Pyongan Province of occupied Korea (now North Korea) to Presbyterian parents. In 1944, he joined an underground resistance movement in response to the ongoing occupation of Korea by the Empire of Japan. He was captured by Japanese police shortly after, avoided a death sentence, and spent time in prison. Upon his release, he studied Western philosophy at Dongguk University. One day, a monk friend of his lent him a copy of the Diamond Sutra. While reading the text, he became inspired to ordain as a monk and left school, receiving the prātimokṣa precepts in 1948.^[1][2] Seung Sahn then performed a one-hundred day solitary retreat in the mountains of Korea, living on a diet of pine needles and rain water. It is believed he attained enlightenment on this retreat.

While seeking out a teacher who could confirm his enlightenment, he found Kobong, who told him to keep a not-knowing mind. In the fall of 1948, Seung Sahn learned dharma combat while sitting a one-hundred day sesshin at Sudeoksa—where he was known to stir up mischief, nearly being expelled from the monastery. After the sesshin was concluded, he received dharma transmission (inka) from two masters, Keumbong and Keum'oh. He then went to see Kobong, who confirmed Seungsahn's enlightenment on January 25, 1949, and gave him dharma transmission as well. Seung Sahn is the only person Kobong gave Dharma transmission to. He spent the next three years in observed silence.^[3][4][5]

Career

Seungsahn with monks from the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani

Drafted into the Republic of Korea Army in 1953, he served as an army chaplain and then as a captain for almost five years, taking over for Kobong as abbot of Hwagaesa in Seoul, South Korea in 1957. In the next decade, he would go on to found Buddhist temples in Hong Kong and Japan. While in Japan, he was acquainted with the kōan (Korean gong'an) tradition of the Rinzai school of Zen, likely^{[clarification needed]} undergoing kōan study with a Rinzai master.^[1][3][6]

Coming to the United States in 1972, he settled in Providence, Rhode Island and worked at a laundromat as a repairman, spending much of his off time improving upon his English. Shortly after arriving, he found his first students at nearby Brown University, most of whom came by way of a recommendation from a professor there. Among these first students was Jacob Perl (Wubong), who helped to found the Providence Zen Center with the others.^[3][4]

The Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

In 1974, Seung Sahn began founding more Zen centers in the United States—his school still yet to be established—beginning with Dharma Zen Center in Los Angeles—a place where laypeople and the ordained could practice and live together. That following year, he went on to found the Chogye International Zen Center of New York City, and then, in 1977, Empty Gate Zen Center. Meanwhile, in 1979, the Providence Zen Center moved from its location in Providence to its current space in Cumberland, Rhode Island.^[7]

The Kwan Um School of Zen was founded in 1983 and, unlike more traditional practice in Korea, Seungsahn allowed laypersons in the lineage to wear the robes of full monastics, upsetting some in the Jogye Order by allowing lay Dharma teachers to wear long robes.^[8][9]

Celibacy was not required and the rituals of the school are unique.^{[clarification needed]} Although the Kwan Um School does utilize traditional Seon and Zen rituals, elements of their practice also closely resemble rituals found often in Pure Land Buddhism, Chan Buddhism, and the Huayan school. In 1986, along with a former student and Dharma heir Dae Gak, Seungsahn founded a retreat center and temple in Clay City, Kentucky called Furnace Mountain—the temple name being Kwan Se Um San Ji Sah (or, Perceive World Sound High Ground Temple). The center functions independently of the Kwan Um organization today.^[3][10]

Seungsahn's Hermitage - The place of his one-hundred day solitary retreat

Over his tenure as Guiding Teacher, Seungsahn appointed many Dharma heirs. He created the title Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (JDPSN) for those not ready for full dharma transmission but capable of teaching at a higher capacity. In 1977, Seungsahn was hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmia and it was then discovered that he had advanced diabetes. He had been in and out of hospitals for heart complications for years preceding his death, and in 1987 began spending much less time at his residence in the Providence Zen Center.^[8]

Starting in 1990, and under invitation from Mikhail Gorbachev, Seungsahn began making trips to the Soviet Union to teach. His student, Myong Gong Sunim, later opened a practice center in the country (Novgorod Center of Zen Meditation).^[11]

Teaching style

Seungsahn implemented the use of simple phraseology to convey his messages, delivered with charisma, which helped make the teachings easier to consume for Western followers. Some of his more frequently employed phrases included "only go straight" or "only don't know".^[12] He even went so far as to call his teachings "Don't Know Zen", which was reminiscent of the style of Bodhidharma.^[13] Seungsahn used correspondences between him and his students as teaching opportunities. Back-and-forth letters allowed for a kind of dharma combat through the mail and made him more available to the school's students in his absence. This was another example of his skillful implementation of unorthodox teaching methods, adapting to the norms of Western culture and thus making himself more accessible to those he taught. He was a supporter of what he often termed "together action"—encouraging students to make the lineage's centers their home and practice together.^[9][14]

Joan Halifax with Seungsahn at a sesshin at the Ojai Foundation in 1979.

Seungsahn also developed his own kōan study program for students of the Kwan Um School, known today as the "Twelve Gates". These twelve kōans are a mixture of ancient cases and cases which he developed. Before receiving inka to teach (in Kwan Um, inka is not synonymous with Dharma transmission), students must complete the Twelve Gates, though often they will complete hundreds more. One of the more well known cases of the Twelve Gates is "Dropping Ashes on the Buddha", the Sixth Gate, which is also the title of one of his books. In the book The Compass of Zen, this kong-an is transcribed as follows: "Somebody comes to the Zen center smoking a cigarette. He blows smoke and drops ashes on the Buddha." Seungsahn then poses the question, "If you are standing there at that time, what can you do?"^[1][15] Not included in this version of the kōan is the Kwan Um School of Zen's following side note on the case, "[H]ere is an important factor in this case that has apparently never been explicitly included in its print versions. Zen Master Seung Sahn has always told his students that the man with the cigarette is also very strong and that he will hit you if he doesn't approve of your response to his actions."^[16]

When Seungsahn first began teaching in the United States, there was an underemphasis in his message on the significance of zazen. Under advice from some students, however, he soon came to incorporate zazen into the curriculum more frequently. More than a few of his earliest students had practiced Zen previously under the Sōtō priest Shunryū Suzuki, laying out a convincing argument about how zazen and Zen were seen as inseparable in the Western psyche.^[9]

Later life

Throughout the 1990s, Seung Sahn made trips to Israel, which led to the 1999 opening of the Tel Aviv Zen Center. His remaining years were spent in particularly poor health. He had a pacemaker put in his chest in 2000, followed by renal failure in 2002.^[17] In June 2004, he was given the honorific title Dae Jong Sa "Great Lineage Master" by the Jogye Order in commemoration of his accomplishments, the highest title the order can grant.

Death

Seung Sahn died on November 30, 2004, at the age of 77 in Seoul, South Korea at Hwagaesa, the first temple where he served as abbot.^{[3][18][19][20]}

Affairs with students

In 1988, Seung Sahn admitted to having sexual relationships with several students.^[1][21][22] Because Seung Sahn was understood to be a celibate monk, the revelation of the affairs caused some members to leave the school.^[23] Seung Sahn did two repentance ceremonies^{[citation needed]} and the Kwan Um School of Zen has since developed an ethics policy that has guidelines for teacher/student relationships and consequences for unethical behavior.^[24]

Seung Sahn's lineage

The following list documents Seung-Sahn Haeng-Won's transmission lineage, starting with the Buddha and the First Patriarch.^[25][26][27]

India

	Sanskrit	Chinese	Vietnamese	Japanese	Korean
1	Mahākāśyapa	摩訶迦葉 / Móhējiāyè	Ma-Ha-Ca-Diếp	Makakashō	마하가섭 / Mahagasŏp
2	Ānanda	阿難陀 (阿難) / Ānántuó (Ānán)	A-Nan-Đà (A-Nan)	Ananda Buddha (Anan)	아난다 (아난) / Ananda Buddha (Anan)
3	Śānavāsa	商那和修 / Shāngnàhéxiū	Thương-Na-Hòa-Tu	Shōnawashu	상나화수 / Sangnahwasu
4	Upagupta	優婆掬多 / Yōupójúduō	Ưu-Ba-Cúc-Đa	Ubakikuta	우바국다 / Upakukta
5	Dhrtaka	提多迦 / Dīduōjiā	Đề-Đa-Ca	Daitaka	제다가 / Chedaga
6	Miccaka	彌遮迦 / Mízhējiā	Di-Dá-Ca	Mishaka	미차가 / Michaga
7	Vasumitra	婆須密 (婆須密多) / Póxūmì (Póxūmìduō)	Bà-Tu-Mật (Bà-Tu-Mật-Đa)	Bashumitsu (Bashumitta)	바수밀다 / Pasumilta
8	Buddhanandi	浮陀難提 / Fútuónándī	Phật-Đà-Nan-Đề	Buddanandai	불타난제 / Pŭltananje
9	Buddhamitra	浮陀密多 / Fútuómìduō	Phục-Đà-Mật-Đa	Buddamitta	복태밀다 / Puktaemilda
10	Pārśva	波栗濕縛 / 婆栗濕婆 (脅尊者) / Bōlìshīfú / Pólìshīpó (Xiézūnzhě)	Ba-Lật-Thấp-Phược / Bà-Lật-Thấp-Bà (Hiếp-Tôn-Giả)	Barishiba (Kyōsonja)	파률습박 (협존자) / P'ayulsŭppak (Hyŏpjonje)
11	Punyayaśas	富那夜奢 / Fùnàyèshē	Phú-Na-Dạ-Xa	Funayasha	부나야사 / Punayasa
12	Ānabodhi / Aśvaghoṣa	阿那菩提 (馬鳴) / Ānàpútí (Mǎmíng)	A-Na-Bồ-Đề (Mã-Minh)	Anabotei (Memyō)	아슈바고샤 (마명) / Asyupakosya (Mamyŏng)
13	Kapimala	迦毘摩羅 / Jiāpímóluó	Ca-Tỳ-Ma-La	Kabimora (Kabimara)	가비마라 / Kabimara
14	Nāgārjuna	那伽閼剌樹那 (龍樹) / Nàqiéèlàshùnà (Lóngshù)	Na-Già-Át-Lạt-Thụ-Na (Long-Thọ)	Nagaarajuna (Ryūju)	나가알랄수나 (용수) / Nakaallalsuna (Yongsu)
15	Āryadeva / Kānadeva	迦那提婆 / Jiānàtípó	Ca-Na-Đề-Bà	Kanadaiba	가나제바 / Kanajeba
16	Rāhulata	羅睺羅多 / Luóhóuluóduō	La-Hầu-La-Đa	Ragorata	라후라다 / Rahurada
17	Sanghānandi	僧伽難提 / Sēngqiénántí	Tăng-Già-Nan-Đề	Sōgyanandai	승가난제 / Sŭngsananje
18	Sanghayaśas	僧伽舍多 / Sēngqiéshèduō	Tăng-Già-Da-Xá	Sōgyayasha	가야사다 / Kayasada
19	Kumārata	鳩摩羅多 / Jiūmóluóduō	Cưu-Ma-La-Đa	Kumorata (Kumarata)	구마라다 / Kumarada
20	Śayata / Jayata	闍夜多 / Shéyèduō	Xà-Dạ-Đa	Shayata	사야다 / Sayada
21	Vasubandhu	婆修盤頭 (世親) / Póxiūpántóu (Shìqīn)	Bà-Tu-Bàn-Đầu (Thế-Thân)	Bashubanzu (Sejin)	바수반두 (세친) / Pasubandu (Sechin)
22	Manorhitajuna	摩拏羅 / Mónáluó	Ma-Noa-La	Manura	마나라 / Manara
23	Haklenayaśas	鶴勒那 (鶴勒那夜奢) / Hèlènà (Hèlènàyèzhě)	Hạc-Lặc-Na	Kakurokuna (Kakurokunayasha)	학륵나 / Haklŭkna
24	Simhabodhi	師子菩提 / Shīzǐpútí	Sư-Tử-Bồ-Đề / Sư-Tử-Trí	Shishibodai	사자 / Saja
25	Vasiasita	婆舍斯多 / Póshèsīduō	Bà-Xá-Tư-Đa	Bashashita	바사사다 / Pasasada
26	Punyamitra	不如密多 / Bùrúmìduō	Bất-Như-Mật-Đa	Funyomitta	불여밀다 / Punyŏmilta
27	Prajñātāra	般若多羅 / Bōrěduōluó	Bát-Nhã-Đa-La	Hannyatara	반야다라 / Panyadara
28	Dharmayana / Bodhidharma	Ta Mo / 菩提達磨	Đạt-Ma / Bồ-Đề-Đạt-Ma	Daruma / Bodaidaruma	Tal Ma /보리달마 / Poridalma]

China

	CHINESE NAME[28]	LIFE DATES	VIỆT NAME[29]	JAPANESE NAME[30]	KOREAN NAME[31]
28 / 1	達磨 / Ta-mo	?	Đạt-Ma	Daruma	달마 / Dal-Ma
29 / 2	慧可 / Hui-k'o	487–593	Huệ-Khả	Eka	혜가 / Hye-Ga
30 / 3	僧璨 / Seng-ts'an	?–606	Tăng-Xán	Sōsan	승찬 / Seung-Chan
31 / 4	道信 / Tao-hsin	580–651	Đạo-Tín	Dōshin	도신 / Do-Shim
32 / 5	弘忍 / Hung-jen	601/2–674/5	Hoằng-Nhẫn	Kōnin	홍인 / Hong-Ihn
33 / 6	慧能 / Hui-neng	638–713	Huệ-Năng	Enō	혜능 / Hye-Neung
34 / 7	南嶽懷讓 / Nan-yüeh Huai-jang	677–744	Nam-Nhạc Hoài-Nhượng	Nangaku Ejō	남악회양 / Nam-Ak Hwe-Yang
35 / 8	馬祖道一 / Ma-tsu Tao-i[32]	709–788	Mã-Tổ Đạo-Nhất	Baso Dōitsu	마조도일 / Ma-Jo To-Il
36 / 9	百丈懷海 / Pai-chang Huai-hai	720?/749?–814	Bách-Trượng Hoài-Hải	Hyakujō Ekai	백장회해 / Paek-Chang Hwe-Hae
37 / 10	黃蘗希運 / Huang-po Hsi-yün	?–850	Hoàng-Bá Hy-Vận	Ōbaku Kiun	황벽희운 / Hwang-Byeok Heu-Iun
38 / 11	臨濟義玄 / Lin-chi I-hsüan	?–866/7	Lâm-Tế Nghĩa-Huyền	Rinzai Gigen	임제의현 / Im-Je Eui-Hyeon
39 / 12	興化存奬 / Hsing-hua Tzun-chiang[33]	830–888	Hưng-Hóa Tồn-Tương	Kōke Sonshō	흥화존장 / Heung-Hwa Chon-Jang
40 / 13	南院道癰 / Nan-yüan Hui-yung[34]	d 930?/952?	Nam-Viện Huệ-Ngung	Nanin Egyō	남원도옹 / Nam-Weon To-Ong
41 / 14	風穴延沼 / Feng-hsüeh Yen-chao	896–973	Phong-Huyệt Diên-Chiểu	Fūketsu Enshō	풍혈연소 / Peung-Hyeol Yeon-So
42 / 15	首山省念 / Shou-shan Shen-nien[35]	925/6–992/3	Thủ-Sơn Tỉnh-Niệm	Shūzan Shōnen	수산성념 / Su-San Seong-Nyeom
43 / 16	汾陽善昭 / Fen-yang Shan-chao[36][37]	947–1024	Phần-Dương Thiện-Chiêu	Funyō Zenshō	분양선소 / Pun-Yang Seon-Jo
44 / 17	慈明楚圓 / Tz'u-ming Ch'u-yüan[38]	986–1039	Thạch-Sương Sở-Viên	Jimyō Soen	자명초원 / Cham-Yeong Cho-Weon
45 / 18	楊岐方會 / Yang-ch'i Fang-hui[39]	992–1049	Dương-Kỳ Phương-Hội	Yōgi Hōe	양기방회 / Yang-Gi Pang-Hwe
46 / 19	白雲守端 / Pai-yün Shou-tuan	1025–1072	Bạch-Vân Thủ-Đoan	Hakuun Shutan	백운수단 / Pae-Gun Su-Dan
47 / 20	五祖法演 / Wu-tsu Fa-yen[40]	1024–1104	Ngũ-Tổ Pháp-Diễn	Goso Hōen	오조법연 / O-Jo Peob-Yeon
48 / 21	圓悟克勤 / Yuan-wu K'o-ch'in	1063–1135	Viên-Ngộ Khắc-Cần	Engo Kokugon	원오극근 / Hwe-O Keuk-Keun
49 / 22	虎丘紹隆 / Hsü-ch’iu Shao-lung	1077–1136	Hổ-Khâu Thiệu-Long	Kukyū Jōryū	호구소융 / Ho-Gu Sor-Yung
50 / 23	應庵曇華 / Ying-an T'an-hua	1103–1163	Ứng Am Đàm Hoa	Oan Donge	응암담화 / Eung-Am Tam-Hwa
51 / 24	密庵咸傑 / Mi-an Hsi-chieh	1118?/1138?–1186	Mật Am Hàm Kiệt	Mittan Kanketsu	밀암함걸 / Mir-Am Ham-Keol
52 / 25	破庵祖先 / P'o-an Tsu-hsien	1136–1211	Phá Am Tổ Tiên	Hoan Sosen	파암조선 / Pa-Am Cho-Seon
53 / 26	無準圓照 / Wu-chun Yuan-chao (無準師範 / Wu-chun Shih-fan)	1174/8–1249	. (Vô Chuẩn Sư Phạm)	. (Mujun Shiban)	무준원조 / Mujun Wenjo (무준사범 / Mujun Sabeom)
54 / 27	雪巖惠朗 / Hsüeh-yen Hui-lang		Tuyết Nham Tổ Khâm	Setsugan	설암혜랑 / Seon-Am Hye-Rang
55 / 28	及庵宗信 / Chi-an Tsung-hsin		Cật Yêm Tông Hâm		급암종신 / Keu-Bam Chong-Sil
56 / 29	石屋淸珙 / Shih-wu Ch'ing-kung[41]	1272–1352	Thạch Ốc Thanh Củng	Sekioku Seikyō	석옥청공 / Seo-Gok Cheong-Gong

Korea

	CHINESE NAME[42]	KOREAN NAME[43]	LIFE DATES
57 / 30 / 1	太古普愚 (Tàigǔ Pǔyú)	태고보우 / Tae-Go Bo-Wu	1301–1382
58 / 31 / 2	幻庵混修 (Huànān Hùnxiū)	환암혼수 / Hwan-Am Hon-Su[44]	1320–1392
59 / 32 / 3	龜谷覺雲 (Guīgǔ Juéyún)	구곡각운 / Gu-Gok Gak-Un
60 / 33 / 4	碧溪淨心 (Bìxī Jìngxīn)	벽계정심 / Byeok-Ge Jeong-Shim
61 / 34 / 5	碧松智嚴 (Bìsōng Zhìyán)	벽송지엄 / Byeok-Song Ji-Eom[45]	1464–1534
62 / 35 / 6	芙蓉靈觀 (Fúróng Língguān)	부용영관 / Bu-Yong Yeong-Gwan	1485–1567/1571
63 / 36 / 7	淸虛休靜 (Qīngxū Xiūjìng)	청허휴정 / Cheong-Heo Hyu-Jeong (서산대사 / Seo-San Dae-Sa)	1520–1604
64 / 37 / 8	鞭羊彦機 (Biānyáng Yànjī)	편양언기 / Pyeon-Yang Eon-Gi	1581–1644
65 / 38 / 9	楓潭義諶 (Fēngtán Yìchén)	풍담의심 / Pung-Dam Eui-Sim[46]	?–1665
66 / 39 / 10	月潭雪霽 (Yuètán Xuějì)	월담설제 / Wol-Dam Seol-Je	?–1704
67 / 40 / 11	喚惺志安 (Huànxīng Zhìān)	환성지안 / Hwan-Seong Ji-An	?–1729
68 / 41 / 12	虎巖體淨 (Hǔyán Tǐjìng)	호암체정 / Ho-Am Che-Jeong	?–1748
69 / 42 / 13	靑峰巨岸 (Qīngfēng Jùàn)	청봉거안 / Cheong-Bong Geo-An
70 / 43 / 14	栗峰靑古 (Lìfēng Qīnggǔ)	율봉청고 / Yul-Bong Cheong-Kwa	?–1823
71 / 44 / 15	錦虛法沾 (Jǐnxū Fǎzhān)	금허법첨 / Geum-Heo Beop-Cheom
72 / 45 / 16	龍岩慧彦 (Lóngyán Huìyàn)	용암혜언 / Yong-Am Hye-Eon
73 / 46 / 17	永月奉律 (Yǒngyuè Fènglù)	영월봉율 / Yeong-Wol Bong-Yul
74 / 47 / 18	萬化普善 (Wànhuà Pǔshàn)	만화보선 / Man-Hwa Bo-Seon	?–1879
75 / 48 / 19	鏡虛惺牛 (Jìngxū Xīngniú)	경허성우 / Gyeong-Heo Seong-Wu	1849–1912
76 / 49 / 20	滿空月面 (Mǎnkòng Yuèmiàn)	만공월면 / Man-Gong Weol-Myeon	1871–1946
77 / 50 / 21	高峯景昱 (Gāofēng Jǐngyù)	고봉경욱 / Ko-Bong Gyeong-Uk	1890–1961/2
78 / 51 / 22	崇山行願 (Chóngshān Xíngyuàn)	숭산행원 / Seung-Sahn Haeng-Won	1927–2004

Dharma heirs

Su Bong, DSS, and Dae Gak

• Bo Mun
• Bon Yeon
• Chong An
• Dae Bong
• Dae Gak
• Dae Kwang
• Hae Kwang
• Soeng Hyang
• Su Bong
• Won Gwang
• Wu Bong
• Wu Kwang
• Ji Haeng
• Ji Bong

Bibliography

• Gak, Hyon (2006). Wanting Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake: Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-59030-340-7. OCLC 62896424.
• Sahn, Sueng (2003). Zen: The Perfect Companion (Perfect Companions! Series). Black Dog & Leventhal Publishing. ISBN 1-57912-279-5. OCLC 52075077.
• Seung Sahn; Hyon Gak (1997). The Compass of Zen. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-57062-329-5. OCLC 123275104.
• Sahn, Seung; Hyon Gak (1992). The Whole World Is a Single Flower. C. E. Tuttle Company. ISBN 0-585-06104-1. OCLC 42855442.
• Sahn, Seung (1987). Ten Gates: The Kong-An Teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn. Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-01-6. OCLC 40618475.
• Kwan Um School of Zen (1987). Only Doing It For Sixty Years. Kwan Um School of Zen. OCLC 39712155.
• Sahn, Seung (1985). Zen Dialogue in China. Hong Bup Won Publishing.
• Sahn, Seung (1983). Chanting with English Translations and Temple Rules. Kwan Um School of Zen. OCLC 79625070.
• Sahn, Seung; Stanley Lombardo (1982). Bone of Space: Poems. Four Seasons Foundation. ISBN 0-87704-053-2. OCLC 8281660.
• Sahn, Seung; David O'Neal (1982). Only Don't Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung. Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-03-2. OCLC 28576745.
• Sahn, Seung; Stephen Mitchell (1976). Dropping Ashes on the Buddha. Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3052-6. OCLC 505759099.

Other media

Audio

• 2000 Chanting Instructional CD
• Perceive World Sound Zen Chanting CD (from 1978)

Video

• 1992 Wake Up! On the Road with a Zen Master (DVD and VHS) - Watch on YouTube
• 1993 Sun Rising East (VHS)

See also

• Buddhism in the United States
• Buddhist Patriarch
• The Compass of Zen
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

References

1.  Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who?. Wisdom Publications. pp. 99, 100, 101. ISBN 0-86171-509-8.
2.  Weishaus, Joel. "Paratext". University of Iowa. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
3.  Prebish, Charles S (1999). Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America. University of California Press. pp. 32, 33, 34. ISBN 0-520-21697-0.
4.  "Coming Empty Handed: Zen Master Seung Sahn in Ann Arbor". Cutting Edge, American Zen Arts Quarterly. Spring 1985. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
5.  Sahn, Seung (1992). Hyon Gak (ed.). The Whole World is a Single Flower. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 229–232. ISBN 0-8048-1782-0.
6.  Batchelor, Stephen (1994). The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture. Parallax Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-938077-69-4.
7.  "Center". DharmaZen. Archived from the original on 2007-12-25. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
8.  Ho Youn Kwon; Kwang Chung Kim, R. StephenWarner (2001). Korean Americans and Their Religions. Penn State Press. pp. 124, 125. ISBN 0-271-02073-3.
9.  Prebish, Charles (1998). The Faces of Buddhism. University of California Press. pp. 122, 123, 254, 255. ISBN 0-520-21301-7.
10.  Strecker, Zoe Ayn (2007). Kentucky Off the Beaten Path, 8th edition. Globe Pequot. pp. 106, 107. ISBN 978-0-7627-4201-1.
11.  "Sant-Petersburg Zen Center of "Kwan Um" School of Zen / About us". Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
12.  Simpkins, C. Alexander; Simpkins, Annellen M. (1999). Simple Zen: A Guide to Living Moment by Moment. Tuttle Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 0-8048-3174-2.
13.  Seager, Richard Hughes (2000). Buddhism In America. Columbia University Press. p. 172. ISBN 0-231-10868-0.
14.  Hayes, Richard (1998). Land of No Buddha. Windhorse Publications. ISBN 1-899579-12-5.
15.  Sahn, Seung (1997). The Compass of Zen. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-57062-329-5.
16.  "Seung Sahn's Twelve Gates". Kwan Um School of Zen. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
17.  "VirtualTourist.com ceased operations". Members.virtualtourist.com. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
18.  "Zen Master Seung Sahn". Kwan Um School of Zen. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
19.  Sahn, Seung (1997). The Compass of Zen. Shambhala Publications. p. 391. ISBN 1-57062-329-5.
20.  Prebish, Charles S.; Martin Baumann (2002). Westward Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Asia. University of California Press. p. 183. ISBN 0-520-23490-1.
21.  How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America, 3rd ed. by Rick Fields. Shambhala 1992) ISBN 0-87773-631-6 pg 364
22.  Boucher, Sandy (1993). Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism. Beacon Press. p. 226. ISBN 0-8070-7305-9.
23.  The 60s communes: Hippies and Beyond by Timothy Miller. Syracuse University Press: 1999. ISBN 0-8156-0601-X pg 112
24.  "Ethics Policy of the Kwan Um School of Zen". Kwan Um School of Zen. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
25.  These charts expand from the basic list in "Zen Master Seung Sahn's Lineage" in: Seung-Sahn, 1997, The Compass of Zen, edited by Hyon Gak Sunim, Boston: Shambhala Dragon Editions, Shambhala Publications, pages 393–394. ISBN 1-57062-329-5
26.  The same basic list is online in English at Kwan Um School of Zen and in Hangŭl (down to the 76th generation) at 조사 (불교).
27.  For comparison, see Jinje Seon Sa's lineage chart which is nearly identical with Seung-Sahn's list in The Compass of Zen down to the 75th master, after which the two lineages split up (to 만공월면 / Man-Gong Weol-Myeon in Seung-Sahn's and to 혜월혜명 / Hyewol Hyemyeong in Jinje's). There are five variations between the Seung-Sahn and Jinje lists: the renderings of the 40th, 43rd, 56th, 65th Masters' names, and the Latin spelling of the 58th's.
28.  characters and Wade-Giles Romanization
29.  See Thiền Sư Trung Quốc for a list of Chinese Zen Masters in Vietnamese.
30.  Romaji
31.  Hangeul and South Korean Revised Romanization
32.  extensive article in Mazu Daoyi
33.  pl:Xinghua Cunjiang
34.  "Nan-yüan Hui-yü" in The Compass of Zen, and "Nanyuan Daoyong" in Jinje's lineage chart ("Dao" being the third character in the Chinese name).
35.  The Wade-Giles "Shou-shan Hsing-nien" in The Compass of Zen, consistent with the Pīnyīn "Shoushan Xingnian" in Jinje's lineage chart.
36.  Rendered as "T'ai-tzu Yüan-shan" in The Compass of Zen.
37.  pl:Fenyang Shanzhao
38.  pl:Shishuang Chuyuan
39.  pl:Yangqi Fanghui
40.  pl:Wuzu Fayan
41.  Rendered as "Shih-shih Ch'ing-kung" in The Compass of Zen.
42.  characters and Pīnyīn Romanization
43.  Hangeul and South Korean Revised Romanization
44.  spelled as "Whan-Am Hon-Su" in The Compass of Zen.
45.  pl:Pyŏksong Chiŏm
46.  Rendered as "Pung-Joung Heon-Shim" in The Compass of Zen.

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Sung Sahn 崇山 ｜ Seungsahn
genus name	Deokin Lee
birth	1927 August 1st
	South Pyongan Province Suncheon-gun
Dead	2004 November 30 (age 77)
	Hwagyesa Temple , 117 Hwagyesa-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul
nationality	korea
Main building	Mr. ○○ ○ (○○ ○)
body	NNNcm, NNkg, blood type
family	name (relationship)
Education	Elementary school (graduated/dropped out) Middle school (graduated/dropped out) High school (graduated/dropped out) University College (Department 1, Department 2)[doublemajor] / Enrolled, Bachelor’s degree, Dropped out)
religion	buddhism
job	monk
belong	belong
signature

1. outline2. career3. teaching4. argument5. book6. digression7. Cherry

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1. outline

If you come across a Buddha, shoot the Buddha.

Korean monks .​

Since the 1970s, it is well known for spreading the Zen Buddhism of Korea in the world with its unique unusual performance . At the time, it was so well -known that it was called one of the four major universities in the world with Dalai Lama , Mach Gosa and Tic Nathan Monk.

It is a great figure in the world of Korean Buddhism , and he has innovated that the Zen Buddhism culture spread abroad was Japanese Buddhism . But in later years, sexual scandals with the goddess were raised, leaving a blot in his reputation.[2][3][4][5]

2. career

August 1, 1927, South Pyongan Province Born in Suncheon-gun (currently Suncheon-si). His genus name is Lee Deok-in (李德仁), and Seongsan is not a legal name but a nickname in Korean culture. There were many cases where disciples and believers thought it was impolite to call the great monk by his Dharma name, so they often called him by his pen name, so this has become established. In particular, there are many cases where ordinary believers read Monk Hyeon-gak 's book 'Manhaeng - From Harvard to Hwagyesa' and know Seongsan as 'Seongsan Haengwon'.

He studied at Suncheon Public School and Pyongan Public School in Pyongyang . While participating in the independence movement in 1944[6] He was caught by the Japanese military police and played jail. In 1946 , he entered the Department of Philosophy of Dongguk University and was in Magogsa in 1947 to explore the absolute truth . The first name I received from the teacher, Gobong, was Haengwon.

He continued his fierce practice at Jung Hye -sa, and he visited the knowledge of his time, such as Chunseong Monk, Ilop Monk, Geumbong Monk, Jeongang Monk, and Hye -am Monk. Meanwhile, Mitasa encountered Gobong Monk again. When he greeted Gobong Ship , he said, “I was on the way to get rid of the invoice because I killed the three -teemin in the evening last evening.” The monk said, “How can I believe that? So Sung -san responded without hesitation, and Gobong monk, who watched it , gave a lawyer with the words, "Why do you can't play your butterfly?" Then, "Flash the Deoksung Mountain greatly. Your law will spread greatly to the world." Since then, it has been silent for three years by the name of Gobong. When this happened, on January 29, 1949, he was twenty -three years old. It was also approved by Chunseong, Geumbong, and Geumo .

He enlisted in the Republic of Korea Army as a military conscription in 1951 and was discharged as an officer in 1957. In 1958, he became a member of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and the head of Hwagye Temple. In 1960, he established the Korean Buddhist Newspaper and took office as its first president .

Afterwards, he went on an overseas missionary mission to spread Korean Zen Buddhism, and in 1966 he went to Japan. Shinjuku Hong Court, Hong Kong in 1969 , United States in 1972 , Canada in 1974 Toronto , England , 1980 London , Spain Palma , Brazil , 1983 Sao Paulo , France , 1985 He opened international Zen centers around the world, including the Paris Zen Center, and introduced Korean Buddhism to the world. As a result of such efforts, as of 2004, about 120 Zen centers were opened in 32 countries around the world, and many foreign monks, including Hyeon-gak , Cheong-an , and Muryang, were produced. #

In 1985, he won the World Peace Prize at the World Peace Culture Conference. Since 1999, he has worked as a trilogy of Hwagyesa and entered on November 30, 2004. #

3. teaching

Descartes said, I think therefore I am. Therefore this I come from thinking. Where does thinking come from? Who are you? When you were born, where did you come from? When you die, where do you go?

Descartes said, "I think, therefore I exist". Therefore, this 'I' also comes from thought. Where do thoughts come from? who are you? Where were you born and where did you come from? When you die, where do you go?

In 1972, at the age of 46, he left for the United States penniless . He sure did not speak English at all . At the time, anti-war public opinion on the Vietnam War and the trend of hippie culture were in full swing in the United States.[7] He found a place to live in Providence, Rhode Island, and worked as a mechanic in a laundry for two years to earn a living. Then he accidentally met Professor Leo Pruden, who teaches the history of Eastern civilization at Brown University .

Since then, starting with Providence Zen Center, LA Dharma Zen Center in 1974, Chogye International Zen Center in New York in 1975, and Empty Gate Zen Center in California in 1977 were established in turn, establishing 25 Zen centers in 25 states in the United States.

Because I started life from the bottom without a special back line (...), I knew the American way.[8] Because of this, he showed an open and rational attitude that was unconventional from our point of view while doing missionary work in the United States. Because of this, Americans were able to accept the teachings of Sung Sahn without any objection.

In particular, Sungsan is famous for his amazing Konglish (...), but his English grammar is also a mess, and he uses short sentences made with only a few words to convey the Buddhist law in a simple and clear way , surprising the listeners. It can be said that he personally showed what the non-characters are called in Seon Buddhism .

Translated into English, the above quotation reads as follows: "Descartes said, 'I think, therefore I am.' That is, this person comes from thought. Then where does the thought come from? Who are you (before thinking)? Where did you come from when you were born? , where do you go when you die?" Hyeon-gak said in <Manhaeng - From Harvard to Hwagyesa> that he was first impressed by Sung Sahn in the above sermon. However, not all Americans were deeply impressed, so Theodore Jun Park, who actually attended the Zen center in Sung Sahn, wrote only about Songdam as a monk in his training book, <Cham Seon>.

Only go straight Only don't know

These two phrases are representative of the teachings of Sung Sahn. These two phrases are well known as 'only do' and 'only don't know'.

Sung Sahn traveled around the world for propagation , and it is also famous for spreading teachings through letters . When students have questions during meditation, they write letters and ask questions, and when Sung Sahn gives instructions through replies, the disciples who read them immerse themselves in meditation again, and when they have questions again... Repeat the following.

In addition, a koan (公案) traditionally used in Zen Buddhism was issued to check the disciple's enlightenment, which is called a 'koan interview'. Among the kongans used at this time, 'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha' is well known to the public. In the list of books below, "If I Shake the Ashes to the Buddha" is the title taken from this kong-an.

The contents of the public notice are as follows. 'One day a person came into the temple smoking a cigarette . He blew smoke at the Buddha statue and brushed off the ashes . What would I do if you were by my side at this time?'[9][10]

I only teach the framework of Buddhism . Each culture will slowly nourish their own Buddhism.

In fact, even if you talk to Seong San in Korean rather than Konglish , you can still feel the same sense of speechlessness that you felt with Hyeon Gak . Now that he's dead, I can't hear more, but... In the very last scene of the one-hour documentary made by MBC before his death, a short clip of an interview between the reporting producer and Seong San is inserted, and here, too, he hits viewers in the back with his unique teachings. .

At the end of his Dharma Talk, a blonde woman next to him asked the monk. As far as I remember, the woman was a student in her 30s who was in a doctoral class at Harvard University.
"What is love? (What is love? / What is ' love '?)"[11]
Seung Sahn kicked off and asked the girl the following.
"I ask you, what is love? / I ask you, what is love?"
So the student lost his answer and sat still.
That is what Seung Sahn was talking about.
"This is love. / This is love."
Still, the girl sat there blankly, unable to find anything to say. While she stared at the student, Songshan continued her words as follows.
"You ask me, I ask you. This is love. / You asked me, I asked you. This is what love is."
Can there really be more language than this in humans? Perhaps even Jesus , the master of the philosophy of love, lacked the wit to say so much in these short words in this short period of time. I intuited the extraordinaryness of Sung Sahn. His Dalmatok was already beyond language. And it was already transcending borders. It was only human.
- Dool Kim Yong-ok , "I see Buddhism like this" #[12]

4. argument

Judy Loitman argues that the situation of the odds was different from other teachers. "He was not a predator. In Korean culture, it is not a good thing for a female student to have sex with a monk, but he is tolerated. It is tolerated, but it stays in the shade.They also had a relationship. But it was a relationship. He was not a predator. It was not a destructive relationship that was not a harmful relationship.[13]

According to author Timothy Miller, Song Sahn had romantic relationships with several female students in the American Guanyin Zen sect. In 1988, as the controversy arose, she admitted to having sexual relations with several female students, during which she held two penance ceremonies. Timothy Miller writes, "The Guanyin Zen sect had to struggle with relationship issues with Sung Sahn. Sung Sahn is known to his followers to lead a celibate life, but as controversy over his relationship with a female disciple became known, some members left." Regarding this period, Barbara Rose (Master of the Quan Yin Zen sect) said, "Everybody is just learning to live in community, and you too." Sonia Alexander (former director of the Quan Yin Sailor), who disclosed the truth, left her temple, feeling that she was only being used to build the temple. At that time, when asked what the relationship was, Sung Sahn said, "It's neither love nor lust." It didn't hurt me." Nonetheless, Sonia Alexander still feels her admiration for Sung Sahn, and she credits her time with the Order as helping her. In 2011, she rejoined the Gwaneum Seon sect as a Dharma instructor. And now, her Facebook page is still bookmarked by Song Sahn.[14]

The Jogye -jong monk Seol is originally a neutral position (or only unknown) that does not deny anything, and therefore, and therefore criticism of Sungsan is based on misunderstandings of enlightenment and desire. Or, like the extravagance of many Zen Buddhism investigations, it can be seen.

But this is conflicting with the traditional Buddhist perspective. When the precepts collapse, there is no achievement. Even if you are a saint of the first stage, you will never break the precepts. 'Do not do it. Do not want to do it. ' Some shipping companies , such as the original monk , may mean that they could not escape from the experience of the early Buddhism. In the early stages of practice, the watching mind seems to have an experience that seems to exist regardless of everything. Hindu monkers who emphasize the fire, such as the Zen Buddhism and the Survey , often make this claim, and some researchers believe that the tradition of such a pre -Buddhism and Indian advita is only two or three of the 16th stages of wisdom or wisdom . It is not a destruction of the high -end scriptures in the logical point of view, the moral rate based on the logical perspective after the monk , and the extinction of the high -end system based on the four -way system .

5. book

His books include 《Moon Reflected in Heaven》(1992), 《Anecdotes of the World 1,2,3》(2001), 《Compass of Line》[15] , 《Only You Don't Know》, 《If You Shake Ashes from Buddha》[16] , 《The whole world is a single flower》(2001), etc.

6. digression

• I have a relationship with Stanislav Grof, and I participated in a workshop called 'Buddhism and Western Psychology' held in Esalen, California as one of the representatives of Zen Buddhism along with several gurus .[17]
• In 2016 , American monk Hyeon- gak, known as a disciple of Seung Sahn , made headlines when he criticized the Jogye Order. See that document for details.

7. Cherry

Generation	name
1 year old	Kyunghe Monk (鏡 鏡, 1849 ~ 1912)
2 years old	Mangong Monk (滿 空, 1871 ~ 1946)
3 years old	Gobong Monk (1890 ~ ​​1961)
4 years old	Sungsan Monk (1927 ~ 2004)
5 years old	Monk Monk (玄 覺, 1964 ~) Daebong Monk (大 峰, 1950 ~)
6th	Han Han Monk

[doublemajor][2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seungsahn[3] Boucher, Sandy (1993). Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism. Beacon Press. pp. 225–235. ISBN 0-8070-7305-9.[4] Although it should be deprived immediately when it is based on the precepts of the Jogyejong , it was quietly passed by his achievements that contributed to the globalization of Korean Buddhism.[5] Some see this behavior of Sungsan as part of a martial arts .[6] He made ' shortwave radio ' , which was banned by Japan, and helped to listen to external circumstances. Later, he moved to the United States and worked as a laundry machine repairman, so he was familiar with machines.[7] However, in this part, the testimonies of Kim Yong-ok and Hyeon-gak have conflicting parts.[8] He said that what he felt after coming to the United States was that "Americans are too obsessed with freedom ," and that he was surprised that there were fewer Buddhist priests than expected because of this.[9] From the point of view that everything is just empty, there is no difference between a Buddha statue and an ashtray . However, if it is not stopped for this reason, a Buddha statue is a Buddha statue and an ashtray is just an ashtray. Only don't know.[10] There is a similar scene in the movie Dharma, Let's Play . While the gangsters were staying at the temple and were cleaning the Buddha statue, they dropped the statue and its ear fell out. When the monks who were against them went to the head monk and argued with them, the head monk said, "If the Buddha statue's ear fell off, wouldn't it be okay to put it back on? That's all . "Are you saying something big has happened to me? Why are you making such a fuss because one of the Buddha's ears is missing? Then, have you been worshiping a piece of wood as Buddha? You have Buddha in your hearts." He shouted.[11] Many people who studied English in the past learned 'What' closer to 'Hwat' rather than 'Wat'. It is an influence of the Japanese colonial period, but it can only be expressed that way in Japanese katakana . 'Love' is also sometimes pronounced closer to 'lavu' than 'love'.[12] As a bonus, Kim Yong-ok, as was his own tendency, saw that Seongsan was an object of strange awe even to foreigners at the time, and thought, "This person must be a great teacher or a vicious pseudo-religionist ," and was listening to the lecture with his eyes wide open, trying to refute it. , It is said that he was completely entranced by these words. As it is a complete GG declaration from a person known as a controversialist, it is full of somewhat rude expressions toward Seong San, such as his English being messy, but it is clearly an anecdote that conveys Seong San's extraordinaryness.[13] https://rbmcdaniel.ca/2024/01/04/seung-sahn/[14] For more details , see # English Wikipedia -Criticisms item (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/seungsahn).[15] It was divided into volumes 1 and 2, but was released in 2010 as a new volume.[16] It was reissued under the title of 'Buddha Asks Buddha'[17] 'Beyond hallucinations and coincidences'. 311p. psychic world.

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Seung Sahn Quotes

Here are some of the most memorable and insightful quotes from Zen Master Seung Sahn, reflecting his teachings on mindfulness, non-attachment, and direct experience:

• On clear mind: “Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don’t worry about clear mind: it is always there.” A-Z Quotes

• On letting go of desire: “If you want something then you lose everything. If you don’t want anything then you already have everything.” A-Z Quotes

• On Zen practice: “Just keep clear mind, go straight ahead, try, try, try for ten thousand years.” A-Z Quotes

• On non-attachment: “Throw away all thoughts of attainment, you will then come to see the real purpose of your quest.” A-Z Quotes

• On truth and action: “The Truth is realized in an instant; the Act is practiced step by step.” A-Z Quotes

• On “don’t-know mind”: “Throw away all opinions, all likes and dislikes, and only keep the mind that doesn't know. This is very important. Don’t-know mind is the mind that cuts off all thinking.” the Ripening

• On everyday living: “When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think.” A-Z Quotes+1

• On life and death: “If you keep one mind, there is no life, no death. Then if you die tomorrow, no problem; if you die in five minutes, no problem.” BrainyQuote

• On helping others: “Throwing away Zen mind is correct Zen mind. Only keep the question, ‘What is the best way of helping other people?’” A-Z Quotes

• On perception: “Perceiving your own voice means perceiving your true self or nature. When you and the sound become one, you don't hear the sound; you are the sound.” BrainyQuote

These quotes capture Seung Sahn’s emphasis on simplicity, presence, and cutting through conceptual thinking to meet reality directly. They are often used in Zen practice to inspire mindfulness and let go of attachment.

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• Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don't worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes, You must not be attached to the coming or the going.

  Seungsahn

  Moon, Thinking, Attachment

  52 Copy quote   

• If you throw away all thoughts of attainment, you will then come to see the real purpose of your quest.

  Seungsahn

  Beautiful, Real, Purpose

  20 Copy quote   

• The Truth is realized in an instant; the Act is practiced step by step.

  Seungsahn

  Steps, Truth Is, Instant

  11 Copy quote   

• Craziness is good. Crazy people are happy, free, they have no hindrance. But since you have many attachment, you are only a little crazy. This is not crazy enough. You must become completely crazy. Then you will understand.

  Seungsahn

  Crazy, Attachment, People

  14 Copy quote   

• If you want something then you lose everything. If you don’t want anything then you already have everything.

  Seungsahn

  Want Something, Want, Ifs

  18 Copy quote   

• Just keep clear mind, go straight ahead, try, try, try for ten thousand years.

  Seungsahn

  Dream, Years, Mind

  5 Copy quote   

• If you are thinking, you can't understand Zen. Anything that can be written in a book, anything that can be said - all this is thinking . . . but if you read with a mind that has cut off all thinking, then Zen books, sutras and Bibles are all the truth. So is the barking of a dog or the crowing of a rooster. All things are teaching you at every moment, and these sounds are even better teaching than Zen books.

  Seungsahn

  Dog, Book, Teaching

  10 Copy quote   

• The one who praises you is a thief. The one who criticizes you is your true friend.

  Seungsahn

  True Friend, Thieves, Praise

  15 Copy quote   

• In the past, kong-an (koan) practicing meant checking someone's enlightenment. Now we use kong-ans to make our lives correct. . . . You must use kong-ans to take away your opinions. When you take away your opinions, your mind is clear like space, which means from moment to moment you can reflect any situation and respond correctly and meticulously.

  Seungsahn

  Life, Mean, Past

  17 Copy quote   

• When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think.

  Seungsahn

  Reading, Thinking, Eating

  14 Copy quote   

• The Great Way has no gate. Clear water has no taste. The tongue has no bone. In complete stillness, a stone girl is dancing.

  Seungsahn

  Girl, Dancing, Water

  10 Copy quote   

• Throwing away Zen mind is correct Zen mind. Only keep the question, 'What is the best way of helping other people?'

  Seungsahn

  Helping Others, People, Mind

  5 Copy quote   

• Taoist chanting, Confucian chanting, Christian chanting, Buddhist chanting don't matter. Chanting Coca Cola, Coca Cola, Coca Cola … can be just as good if you keep a clear mind. But if you don't keep a clear mind, and are only following your thinking as you mouth the words, even the Buddha cannot help you.

  Seungsahn

  Christian, Buddhist, Thinking

  13 Copy quote   

• Don't want anything. Then you get everything.

  Seungsahn

  Want

  10 Copy quote   

• Human beings understand too much.

  Seungsahn

  Too Much, Humans, Human Beings

  5 Copy quote   

• Perceiving your own voice means perceiving your true self or nature. When you and the sound become one, you dont hear the sound; you are the sound.

  Seungsahn

  Mean, Self, Voice

  9 Copy quote   

• In original nature There is no this and that. The Great Round Mirror Has no likes or dislikes.

  Seungsahn

  Spiritual, Mirrors, Likes

  8 Copy quote   

• If you want to understand what a watermelon is, you take a watermelon, get a knife, and cut the watermelon. Then you put a slice in your mouth. Boom! YOUR experience!

  Seungsahn

  Cutting, Knives, Mouths

  5 Copy quote   

• A long time ago, Descartes sad, “I think, therefore I am.” But if you are not thinking, what?

  Seungsahn

  Thinking, Long, Ifs

  6 Copy quote   

• Zen is very easy! It's like touching your nose when you wash your face in the morning!

  Seungsahn

  Morning, Touching, Noses

  14 Copy quote   

• I always try meditation. Meditation means always keeping one mind, not-moving mind.

  Seungsahn

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