Zen and ‘Don't Know’

Ok, I got a confession to make. After almost two weeks of blogging and my post on ‘only don’t know’, I’m feeling guilty about not providing the proper Zen explanation of ‘don’t know’ mind. So here it is, as taught by the late Great Zen Master Seung Sahn (ZMSS), the 78th Patriarch of the Chogye Order of Korean Buddhism who founded over a hundred Zen temples, centers, and groups around the world.

***********************************************************************************

WHAT IS ZEN?

Zen is very simple. What are you?

In this whole world, everyone searches for happiness outside but nobody understands their true self inside.

Everybody says, “I.” “I want this. I am like that...” but nobody understands this ‘I.’ Before you were born, where did your ‘I’ come from? When you die, where will your ‘I’ go? If you sincerely ask, “What am I?” sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this “Don’t Know.”

Zen is keeping this don‘t know mind always and everywhere.

When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still...
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

Meditation in Zen means keeping don't-know mind when bowing, chanting and sitting Zen. This is formal Zen practice. And when doing something, just do it. When driving, just drive; when eating, just eat; when working, just work.

Finally your don’t-know mind will become clear. Then you can see the sky, only blue – you can see the tree, only green. Your mind is like a clear mirror – red comes, the mirror is red; white comes, the mirror is white. A hungry person comes, you can give him food; a thirsty person comes, you can give her something to drink. There is no desire for myself, only for all beings. That mind is already Enlightenment; we call that Great Love, Great Compassion, the Great Bodhisattva Way. It’s very simple, not difficult!

So Buddha said that all beings have Buddha-nature (enlightenment nature). But Zen Master Joju said that a dog has no Buddha nature. Which one is right? Which one is wrong? If you find that, you find the true way.

“Only Go Straight!”

***********************************************************************************
Extracted from ‘Zen Is Just Like this’, a compilation of dharma talks given by ZMSS, published by Kwan Yin Chan Lin Zen Meditation Centre (Website: htpp://www.kyclzen.org)