Primary Volume 33 • Number 3 • Fall 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PRIMARY POINT® Kwan Um School of Zen 99 Pound Rd Cumberland, RI 02864-2726 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Primary Primary P int P Volume 33 • Number 3 • Fall 2016 2016 Fall • 3 Number • 33 Volume PRIMARY POINT Fall 2016 IN THIS ISSUE Primary Point 99 Pound Road How Can Sitting Save Tis Hungry World? Cumberland RI 02864-2726 U.S.A. Zen Master Seung Sahn ...............................................................4 Telephone 401/658-1476 www.kwanumzen.org Ethics Policy..............................................................................6 online archives: Hermitage of the Five-Year-Old Visit kwanumzen.org to learn more, peruse back Zen Master Su Bong ....................................................................8 issues and connect with our sangha. South Florida Zen Group Fifteenth Anniversary Poem Ken Kessel JDPSN .......................................................................9 Published by the Kwan Um School of Zen, a nonproft reli- gious corporation. Te founder, Zen Master Seung Sahn, 78th Finding the One Ting: Four Short Teachings Patriarch in the Korean Chogye order, was the frst Korean Zen by Zen Master Dae Kwan Master to live and teach in the West. In 1972, after teaching Zen Master Dae Kwan ...............................................................10 in Korea and Japan for many years, he founded the Kwan Um sangha, which today has afliated groups around the world. He “It Should Be Disturbing” gave transmission to Zen Masters, and inka (teaching author- Zen Master Soeng Hyang, Zen Master Bon Yeon ..........................12 ity) to senior students called Ji Do Poep Sas (dharma masters). Te Kwan Um School of Zen supports the worldwide teaching Zen Mind schedule of the Zen Masters and Ji Do Poep Sas, assists the Zen Master Dae Kwang .............................................................15 member Zen centers and groups in their growth, issues publi- cations on contemporary Zen practice, and supports dialogue If the Ancient Barbarian Could Do It, So Can You—Letter to a among religions. If you would like to become a member of the Student School and receive Primary Point, see page 31. Te circulation Ken Kessel JDPSN .....................................................................15 is 2,100 copies. Closing the Gap between Yoga and Zen Te views expressed in Primary Point are not necessarily those of this journal or the Kwan Um School of Zen. Zen Master Hae Kwang .............................................................18 © 2016 Kwan Um School of Zen Success Andrzej Stec JDPSN ..................................................................20 [3 Founding Teacher Book Review: Don’t Be a Jerk Zen Master Seung Sahn Zen Master Hae Kwang .............................................................23 School Zen Master Poetry ......................................................................................22 Zen Master Soeng Hyang Editor-in-Chief Book Review: Myths and Legends of Buddhist Temples in Korea Ken Kessel JDPSN Zen Master Bon Hae..................................................................24 Editor for Europe Kwan Um School of Zen Centers ...............................28, 29, 30 Zen Master Ji Kwang Membership in the Kwan Um School Editor for Asia Kathy Park JDPSN of Zen–America ......................................................................31 Managing Editor Tamarind Jordan Managing Editor for Europe Eduardo del Valle Pérez Book Review Editor Zen Master Bon Hae Layout and Design James Gouijn-Stook Content Editor Ben Gleason Content Editor for Europe Peter Voke Proofreader Linda Jacobs Manufacturing Manager Eugene Lim Publishing Manager Paul Majchrzyk JDPSN Cover: Oil lamp on the altar at Su Bong Zen Monastery in Hong Kong. Photo by Francis Lau. PRIMARY POINT Fall 2016 How Can Sitting Save Tis Hungry World? Zen Master Seung Sahn Question: What can we in America do to stop the for their minds. People with mind hunger do not die. starvation of the world? Tey want power, and then they want more power. Zen Master Seung Sahn: Did you have dinner? Tey say things like “My way is correct, your way is not Q: Yes. correct!” Tey want to control this world. Tey don’t ZMSS: Did you clean your bowl? want to lose their good situation. Q: Yes. Nowadays, many of the people who say they want ZMSS: Good. So why is there this kind of problem? world peace are afraid of nuclear weapons. What they In this world, cause and efect are very clear. Everything want is not to die, not to lose their good situation. has a primary cause. If you understand it, and remove Tat is not correct world peace. Most of the politicians it, then the problem will also disappear. We can save talk about world peace that way. Russia says “We want money and send food over to Africa and India; that’s world peace.” America says “We want world peace.” OK. But many problems will remain. Taking away the Which world peace is correct? Tese are mind hungry primary cause is very important. It’s like a game of pool. people, who make bombs and nuclear weapons. Tey You hit the ball directly into the pocket, and that’s one talk about world peace, but it’s only a world peace of ball in the pocket. But the high-class technique is to the tongue, not a true world peace. Tere are also many hit this ball and that ball and other balls, so that all of people in this world who don’t want world peace. Tey them go into the pockets. Zen-style action is like that; think the world is so evil that it should be destroyed. 4] we can give money to help hungry people, but if we hit Tey also only want to keep their own good situation, people’s hungry minds, we can help change their minds so their world peace is only for themselves, not for oth- so that they can help their own country. Te high-class er people. Tis is also not correct world peace. technique is to help people help themselves. “I want world peace only for myself”—this kind of Tere are two kinds of hunger in this world: body mind is unbalanced. Take away this mind hunger, and hunger and mind hunger. Body hunger is easily solved: the problem of body hunger will also disappear. If we just feed people. But mind-hungry people need food love each other, help each other, and become harmo- nious with each other, then world peace is possible. You must understand this world. America makes many bombs and nuclear weapons. Why? It is not at war. If these weapons are not used, they eventually decay. But because America makes them, Russia must make them. Te commu- nist countries have less money, so they must take money from other things in order to make weapons. Eventually their economy begins to break down. Te American idea is not to fght, but to break down the economies of com- Photo: Francis Lau munist countries. When economies break down, PRIMARY POINT Fall 2016 PRIMARY POINT Fall 2016 hungry people appear. Now many people are hungry. pear. After cleaning the room, it’s OK for a day or two, Tis mind-set is very bad. Do you understand? Per- then soon the insects appear again. Cleaning once in ceive this world clearly, and you will understand where a while doesn’t help. Why do these insects appear? We hunger comes from. Everything happens by natural must look for the primary cause. In this case, we fnd process. In Africa and India (and America as well), the room is very damp. If it were dry, no insects would there is much killing of animals for food. Tere is not appear. So we must make it dry by using a heater or so much eating of rice and vegetables, as there is in building a fre, and making the room very hot and dry. East Asia. It takes more land to raise animals for meat Ten the insects will not appear again. It’s the same than it does for raising grains and vegetables. Why are with the problem of hungry people. many people starving? Tis is the result not just of this life, but of causes begun many lifetimes ago. Buddha said, if you want to understand what happened before this life, look at what you are getting now. Being very hungry means that in a previous life, one gave much Q: Does our sitting in meditation take away the pri- sufering to other people and animals, and also took mary cause for Africa’s hunger? food. Today’s sufering is the result of those actions. ZMSS: When I came to this country fourteen years Tere is great imbalance now between hungry people ago, I was alone. Tere were no Zen centers in our and people with a lot of food. At mealtimes we make a style. Now there are many of them around the world in great deal of food, then throw away what we don’t eat our school, with many people practicing. Many people into the garbage. Tere are many thousands of restau- in these Zen centers are beginning to understand the rants in America that throw away food. If we were able correct way and the truth. Maybe in the future, our to send all the wasted food to Africa and India, those Zen centers and the many others around the world will people would not be hungry. grow and be able to teach all the people with hungry Also, if you want to understand the future, you minds. Take away mind hunger, and body hunger will must look at what is occurring now. Our mind-set at soon disappear. Ten world peace will be possible. You this moment is the primary cause of what will happen want results quickly. You want to send something to in the future: tomorrow, the next life, generations after the hungry people and have the problem solved tomor- [5 that. Right now your mind is making the future. Right row. Tat’s not possible. In this world, cause and efect now people are killing animals for food, people are appear sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly.