by wiesiek on Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:34 am
Our aim is to keep Master Seung Sahn teaching a live,
and guarding Sword of Zen.
Excerpt from "Dropping ashes on the Buddha" , (Grove Press Inc., New York 1976. :
..." Zen = self-understanding
:
Once upon the time student from Chicago appeared in Providence Zen Center and asked Seung Sahn :
- Zen - what is it?
- Seung Sahn arising zen stick over his head, asked: do you understand?
- don`t know...
- This mind: "don`t know" - it you, Zen means self-understanding.
- How do you understand it?. Master, please teach me.
- In a bakery, quite different cakes are baked. Differs in forms/shapes and sizes, but are done from the same flour, like all things in the Universe - stars, mountains, rivers, peoples, animals ; they are different in the forms, has a different names, but in the core are the same.
Opposites forms its base. : light/darkness, woman/men, sound/silence, good/evil ...
BUT
All the opposites are homogeneous, `cause are done from the same substance. Their names and forms are created by "thinking". If you don`t think, and you`re not tied to the forms and names - then substance became the one. Your "don`t know" mind is cutting off all of you thinking.
This is your substance. Substance of this stick and your own substance are the same.
You are the stick. Stick is you.
Student - philosophers described >substance< differently : as a energy, mind, God or the matter. What is the truth?
S.S. :
Four of blinds went to the Zoo, when closing to a elephant, :
1st touch his side and stated - it is like wall,
2nd touching trunk shouted - he is like snake,
next touched the leg and says - no he is like mop!
then fight started .
Everybody get a part, but nobody saw whole picture...
>Substance< has no name or form.
Energy, God, matter - all are the names and forms. Substance is Absolute. Having a name and form means to have opposites. It why whole world is like fighting of blinds.
If you don`t know yourself, you don`t know the truth..."
Joyful Fruits of the Live