Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1915 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen •
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901 December 27, 1977 Kyoto, Japan Dear Friend-in-Dharma, Seung Sahn Soen Sa: I trust this letter will reach you. I have enjoyed the book Dropping Ashes on the Buddha very much. I’m 65 years of age. I’m sad that I did not meet you when I came to Providence in 1973 to play a piano recital at Brown University. I heard of you from a friend in the Dept. of Religion at Brown but I had to leave for further concerts. Do you know Seo Kyung Bo — a Korean priest? I met him in Hawaii and arranged some lectures for him. I’ve been to Korea often and like it very much. (My existence centers around Zen and I’m content and quiet.) I’m not writing this to ask any questions—only to express admiration and respect for your “way”. Many years ago I sponsored the late Nyogen Senzaki in New York, and he gave me the following Gatha: “The Bamboo Shadows Sweep the Stairs, But not a particle of dust is stirred. Moonlight penetrates to the Bottom of the well, But not a trace of it remains.” “Living is Dying”, Dr. D.T. Suzuki said in Honolulu. It is only too true. On February 18th I will present John Stevens—an American young man—in a lecture here in Kyoto on “The Zen Poetry of Ryokan”. His translation of the poetry is One Robe, One Bowl—the book he translated of Ryokan’s Zen Poetry—published by John Weatherhill (New York and Tokyo). What is the address of the International Zen Institute of New York? Thank you for your kindness—and courtesy—and keep up your priceless work. If you can, do write to me. Thank you. Yours in the Dharma, Jacob (Kyo-zen) Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1915 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen • www.kwanumzen.org July 19, 1978 Dear Jacob, Thank you for your letter. How are you? I got your letter just now, because Grove Press sent it to me just now, so I’m answering you very late. I am sorry. You liked Dropping Ashes on the Buddha. That is wonderful. Also, you said you were sixty- five years old last year. Just attained Zen age! Our school’s first teaching is, “Where are you coming from?” “What is your name?” “When you die, where do you go?” Very simple questions. Many people don’t understand. But this don’t know is very important. So I tell them, when you are thinking, your mind and my mind and other people’s minds are different. But don’t know already cuts off all thinking. Cut-off-all-thinking mind is empty mind. Empty mind is before thinking. Your before- thinking mind is your substance; my before-thinking mind is my substance. Then your substance, my substance, and universal substance are the same. When you keep don’t know, you are everything, and everything is you. You and everything become one. This is called primary point. So don’t know is not don’t know—don’t know is primary point. Primary point’s name is don’t know. But somebody says primary point is mind, or Dharma, or God, or substance, or nature, or the Absolute, or energy, or everything. But primary point has no name, no form, no words, no speech. Only when you keep don’t-know mind, then you are everything; everything is you. So I ask you: The tree and you, are they the same or different? If you say the same, I will hit you thirty times; if you say different, I will also hit you thirty times. What can you do? If you don’t understand, only go straight—don’t know. Sometime, ask the tree. The tree will teach you everything. The tree is better than me, better than Buddha or the sutras. I know Dr. Seo very well. We are good Dharma friends. He taught in Dong Guk University when I was director of the Dong Guk University fund-raising foundation. Also, you like Korea. That is also wonderful. You said your existence centers around Zen and you are content and quiet. Originally, all Dharmas are from stillness. But if you are attached to stillness, you cannot find your correct direction. I think you are not attached to quiet. Here is a famous kong-an: “Hyang Eom’s Up a Tree” Master Hyang Eom said, “It is like a man up a tree who is hanging from a branch by his teeth. His hands cannot grasp a bough; his feet cannot touch the tree. He is tied and bound. Another man under the tree asks him, ‘Why did Bodhidharma come to China?’ If he does not answer, he evades his duty and will be killed. If he answers, he will lose his life. If you are in the tree, how do you stay alive?” Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1916 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen • www.kwanumzen.org If you attain quiet, tell me, what is quiet? I heard about Nyogen Senzaki Roshi. He was a great Zen Master. The Gatha is a wonderful poem. Next, you said living is dying. These are famous words. If not living, then what? One mind appears; one mind disappears. If one mind doesn’t appear, one mind does not disappear. If you make something, and if you are attached to something, then you have life and death. Don’t hold something; don’t make something; don’t attach to something. Then you are always complete and free. There is no time, no space, no life, no death. What do you see now? What do you hear now? When you are doing something, you must do it. Don’t check your feelings; don’t check your mind; also don’t check your understanding. If you check something, you have a problem. Put it all down. Only go straight—don’t know. Always, everywhere, try, try, try for 10,000 years. This is very important. I know John Stevens. He sent me a letter and I answered him. His translation is very wonderful and will help Zen students very much. Here is the address of the First Zen Institute of America: 113 East 30th Street New York, New York 10016 I’m glad that you wrote to me. I hope you always keep don’t know, which is clear like space, soon finish the Great Work of life and death, get Enlightenment, and save all people from suffering. Yours in the Dharma, S.S. Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1917 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen • www.kwanumzen.org 902 July 19, 1978 Dear Maureen, How are you? Here is Dragon Kwan Seum Bosal. Dragon is your age, Kwan Seum Bosal is your True Self. So you are Dragon Kwan Seum Bosal. Dragon has great power. Kwan Seum Bosal has Great Love, Great Compassion, Great Bodhisattva Way. These come together, become only go straight. Better than Cloud Dragon; when Wind Tiger appears, Cloud Dragon has a problem. But with Kwan Seum Bosal Dragon, if Wind Tiger appears, no problem, because Kwan Seum Bosal has Great Love, Great Compassion, Great Bodhisattva Light—saving Wind Tiger is possible. So you must only go straight—try, try, try for 10,000 years. This is Dragon Kwan Seum Bosal. I hope you always keep a mind which is clear like space, soon attain Dragon Kwan Seum Bosal, get Enlightenment, and save all people. Yours in the Dharma, S.S. P.S. Here are some chopsticks. Everyone says thank you very much, so we bought chopsticks for you. (Note: the person who sold us the chopsticks says don’t leave them soaking because the lacquer will come off.) Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1918 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen • www.kwanumzen.org 903 June 24, 1978 Dear Soen Sa Nim, Thank you for the calligraphy that you did for Judy to give to me as a birthday present. BUDDHA like this It’s framed now and very beautiful… Thank you. As you said, I was very lucky to be celebrating my birthday on the last day of a kido, chanting Kwanseum Bosal, and then spending the afternoon in such a beautiful place with you and Diana and Ezra and the others. I have done 35 years in this body, and I hope I have begun the Great Work of saving all beings. I’m glad that I have met you. You have composed many poems over years of corresponding with your students. The poems are now scattered throughout your letters, but I think they would make a very nice book if they were collected and published with an introduction. If you would like this done I would be glad to do the necessary work. Let me know what you think of this. Here is a poem for you: Mouse Eats Cat Food From Broken Bowl The bowl breaks, The food spills into space. This mouse is enormous: One whisker stretches to the moon, Its silver teeth shine like stars. I hope this letter finds you well, and I hope that all your students continue their good work. Sincerely yours, Stanley July 24, 1978 Dear Stan, Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn • Page 1919 © 2008 Kwan Um School of Zen • www.kwanumzen.org Thank you for your beautiful letter. How are you and Judy? You like Bodhidharma’s picture. That is wonderful. The calligraphy is “Buddha like this”.