Do Not Forward, Address Non Profit Org. Correction Requested U.s. Postage Return Postage Guaranteed PAID Permit #278 Providence, RI ARY OINT PUBLISHED BY THE KWAN UM ZEN SCHOOL VOLUME SIX, NUMBER ONE 528 POUND ROAD, CUMBERLAND, RI 02864 (401 )658-1476 JUNE 1989 ONE PERSON'S ENERGY HELPS ALL PEOPLE An lnterview on Family and Practice with Zen Master Seung Sahn home and for Primary Point (PP): In many families every morning evening, just ten minutes. Then, can sit for now, both the husband and wife have to maybe you with the children for a work. They also have children and social awhile, joining you few minutes. Husband and wife should responsibilities. How can the parents also do one hundred and eight bows every make a living, raise a family and still together. the have time to practice? day, Altogether, practice should take one hour every day. Zen Master Seung Sahn (Dae Soen Sa PP: How old should the children be? Nim): If you have children and both parents are working, it can be very dif­ DSSN: At least seven years old. Doing ficult to practice, especially if you live some kind of "Tanjien" practicing (i.e. outside of a Zen Center. So, some kind of breathing in and breathing out from together action practicing with children is "hara" - the area just below the navel) is necessary. Simple exercises like breathe very important. Then, their consciousness in, breathe out; hands up, hands down, becomes very clear. When children are like in Tai Chi; make a circle with your growing up, they cannot control their feel­ Robert Genthner, Ji Do Poep Sa Nim arms and breathe deeply. Children like ings. They often have only "I want" doing these kinds of exercises with their mind- anger mind. If you do breathing parents. You can do this together action at Ninth Student Receives Inka Altered States of Consciousness GETTING A ZEN STICK by Lincoln Rhodes, Ji Do Poep Sa Nim* by Robert Genthner, Ji Do Poep Sa Nim* me. You don't realize it but you're Mind. It's if have a Lincoln Rhodes, Ji Do Poep Sa Nim, given At a ceremony held at Providence Zen very confusing- you and ways of When Zen I'll a Zen but if holds a PhD. in Biochemistryfrom Ml.T. taught seeing things. Center this past December, Robert stick, give you stick, realize there are other of don't I'll in­ Hehas been instrumental in the formation you ways seeing Genthner, ofLexington, Kentucky, be­ you have one, take it away. It centers things, that is, as soon as there's not just our It our of many Zen and groups around came the ninth student to receive formal terrupts thinking. interrupts logi­ one, it a whole different ball the country, and has lived and taught at opens up teaching authorityfrom Zen Master cal analytic discursive thinking. What game. It is very to know that there does that mean? That's the of the Providence Zen Centerfor many helpful Seung Salin. Bob is a long-time student of beginning is more than one to view a way things. don't know. To an of years. He currently owns and manages Zen under several teachers and a practic­ give you example That's a somehow. You Pa Ow's was a construction and home renovation busi­ necessary step ing psychotherapist. He and his wife, mind (he brilliant Zen don't have to know what all the ness. This article is composed ofselec­ ways are, Mara, started the Lexington Zen Center in master), a monk came to him and asked but do know there isn't one tions from dharma talks given during you just way 1982. Bob and members of the Lexington him "what is the water of Pa Cho Moun­ to see. tain." was named after the 1983-85 at the New Haven Zen Center. sangha have purchased a large piece of (He mountain.) And Pa Cho I was shocked because I had all land in that Doe Soen Sa Nim said, "Warm in the winter, was talking about using quite Kentucky cool in the summer." He had an incredib­ this as a scientist. I while has christened as a retreat it is Someonedrugs to open your consciousness. I training thought major site; I was it that the reason an ly clear, non-analytic, non-logical mind. think the evidence is overwhelming that doing you do it is rapidly becoming important gathering He saw the essential nature of to discover some ultimate truths about the the This talk ex­ things. most of this planet is in an altered state of place/or sangha. is universe and the are. I a talk at or consciousness already and our job is to way things So, cerptedfrom pzc after the In Zen talk, the stick is symbolic of went about to do that. 10 and find out what's it like to not be in an al­ trying Then, ceremony. Excerptsfrom the formal Dhar­ represents our true nature, our essential behold, I discovered that there are all ma Combat encounters that nature. all of us who have come here tered state of consciousness. I grew up traditionally And, these controversies about the ultimate 03- the ink or in common and my family wasn't too much different precede granting of a, teaching today have something with Pa can be on he's our than any other family, I had a rather set authority, found page 6. Cho, ancestor. We also have in way of seeing things that was given to (continued on page 11) issues of giving and taking, and of common this way seeking mind. Nobody is here accident. All of us are here Thegenerosity appear regularly in our by out of some some practice. I was reading recently in the Mu together question, and is our ancestor Mun Kwan. Case 44 is a case called Pa wonderment, this who is to if a r�I;���i'pi���%@Yp���l was saying us, you have Zen stick, if Cho's Zen Stick. Pa Cho Korean, i:;� you have essential nature, if you have true '11111 NATIVE TRADmON IN UNFOLDING SANGHA and he went from Korea to China travel­ I will a Zen I will KOREAN ZEN ing around and then he met his teacher nature, give you stick, By Bodhin Kjolhede Sensei.. .........9 a If II:!! il�1 and later became a great Zen Master in give you good beating. Whap! you don't have true if have China. The case goes like this: "If you nature, you empti­ is or have a Zen stick, I will give you a Zen ness, everything blankness, nirvana, I'll take it from So, it's not rest­ I stick. If you don't have a Zen stick, I will away you. I E���;�:�;�:::;:;�:::::� on Not not- H;:;7i;;;:�;2��::ow either/or. take it away." Some of you who came for ing having, having. .... 12 Not in some interviews this morning worked on some resting conceptual perspec­ ��:::d�:' tive. Life isn't that Our life is I ::=a':RLD .;:;:n�s;��;:���� I kong-ans that are like this. The wonderful simply way. fi r INFORMATION.•••.....•.••••.••.•••••.•.14 % Our Readers Respond.•••.•..•..•.•.•.•.•.••.8 W gift that Pa Cho gives us is Don't Know ���::::::::::::�;:;::::::::::::�:::::::::::::::::::::::::::�::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:;:;:::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:::;:;:;:::::;:;:::;:::::::::;:::::;:::;:::::::;:;:::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:::;:;:;:;:::;:;:�:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::�::�::::*::::::::�:!�::::::ili� * See page 12 for an explanation of this new title for Master Dharma Teachers 6 pRIMARY pOINT June 1989 a Zen Stick bows a and if do 500 bows for a Getting day) you That's all technique is, any kind of Question: So, how do I practice with a or few days you realize that mantra kind of continuedfromfrontpage couple technique, any kong-an, kong-an? bowing is just bowing and that what kind of shikantaza. In ��?*#,%1&:�if.f.::'42:r{:?�j:*�j:ljtl���f.��?:;rt.:;:�t�;�fi:;:;�&��j��;��:r:;:�;:;: any Japanese style Genthner: Sit with that question. Let constant moment by moment by moment we're bowing to is our true nature. Your Zen, Mu is the first and kong-an given yourself be a furnace, and let it burn up by moment. So if you have a Zen stick, if true nature and my true nature are not dif­ sit with All you just MU. that is is don't everything. Let the burn off all if bow to I bow to question you have essential nature, already you ferent. So, you me, know. That's the essence of not pure knowing. And then..."Oh, of course!", have lost your life. You know, you you. If I bow to you, you bow to me. It doubt. So knowing. Big question, great just give ourselves to not knowing. The deserve a good beating because you're wall is white, the floor is brown, the stuck in that. And if you don't have it, cushion is blue. Just like this. When not then you're stuck in some kind of empti­ knowing, the mind stops and there is ness. realization of what's going on in the mo­ the of this koan is to see So, point ment. So if you're sitting there and you through that, seeing through having and have don't know mind, from whatever not and not having, seeing through being source, then an answer will appear. and down to what Dae being coming You'll be able to see through the kong-an Soen Sa Nim calls And all of just doing. and an answer will appear. That's the our all of our can be practice, Zen, second step.