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The Way of Korean Zen

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This is one of the few Zen books I recommend to people. I practice in the Rinzai tradition and have tossed out most of my books on Zen philosophy. If you really want to understand Zen, you must practice it. It's really that simple. Everything else is just an intellectual exercise. The great thing about this book is the fact that it contains the teachings of a master who gives excellent advice on how to practice. There are very few books that give this kind of detail and talk about such a critical part of the practice as the Hwa-du (Hua-T'ou in chinese). Aside from Chan and Zen Teachings, vol. 1 (which is out of print), this is one of just a couple of books that address practice in such a down-to-earth manner. This is a true gem of a book. If you are interested in truly understanding Zen, and that requires sincere practice, you will greatly benefit from this book.

The primary technique discussed is the questioning mind. It is essential to maintain the questioning mind at all times. Kusan Sunim discusses this in great detail with a very good introduction to meditation. There are lots of questions and answers, advice and encouragement, and the book ends with a commentary on the 10 ox-herding pictures. It's like having a good friend sit down with you and explain a lot of the practical questions that arise during sincere Zen practice. If you want to take your practice deeper, this book is a very worthwhile purchase. I highly recommend it.

The Way of Korean Zen comes highly recommended -- it is a joy to read and to digest over time. The wisdom of Zen practice is gently set forward throughout the text. Kusan Sunim (Korean for "monk") is a consummate teacher, leading the reader, or student, through a series of interesting and helpful topics including: instructions for meditation; discourses from a winter retreat; advice and encouragement; and the ten oxherding pictures.

This book sets forth Kusan Sunim's deep emphasis on questioning, the heart of the Koan practice of the Korean Zen Buddhist approach. He was constantly challenging the monks and seekers who came to him with abrupt and forthright questions, such as, "right now, tell me, what is the sky?" The book also details Kusan Sunim's biography, and how he practiced extremely diligently for many years, and as a result of his sincere and concerted effort attained profound breakthroughs .

Aside from Kusan Sunim's many accomplishments as a teacher, he was the first Korean Zen teacher to accept Western students in a Korean monastery. Additionally, he lived simply and strictly as a vegan Zen monk. He was a bright, radiant, challenging, freeing, and magnetic presence.

For those interested in another wonderful book on Korean Zen, I would recommend: No River to Cross: Trusting the Enlightenment That's Always Right Here.

in Korean Zen there is emphasis on the Hwa-do, a speculative or philosophical path to enlightenment. the Hwa-do, is known as the Hua-tou in mainland china. it is the ability to question everything but focusing on one problem or knot at a time. the most famous Hwa-do has to be master Wu's "No". this is Wu in chinese and Mu in Japanese. but it is clear from his letters that master Wu Men went beyond the Mu in later life.

does a dog have buddha nature?... No. he answered.

is it love? No. is it truth? No. is it 'it'? No. it is 'so'? No.

no coming, no going, no staying.
no seeking, no finding, no attainment.
no journey, no goal.
no seeking, no attainment.
no gain, no loss.
no love, no hate.
no pain, no gain, no loss.
no action, no inaction.
no self, no non self.
no no.
no void, no form.
no? yes no.

formless..., an anomaly? No.

enlightenment? No.
beyond? within? No.

yes? No. no? No.

so the Hwa-do is the drive to crack the knut of a koan such as the Mu, by questioning answers and answering questions about it until... crack! you have it then you can eat the nut.

can you crack the word 'No', in your own style, if you can... you will surely taste emptiness, the original void, the pristine nature in its empty phase, but to do this you need to be able to get to the very essence of this little word. No. i highly value the diamond sutra as expressing the essence of void/emptiness... form is emptiness, but feel that there is not much on the emptiness is form side of things. the formless teaching yes, but not the formful teaching. illusion teaching, yes, but not much on the supreme reality of form, beond emptiness. infact, you find whatever you look for, such is the nature of seeking and finding.

in later life master Wu Men seems to have focused on 'it' as the ultimate koan. Zen master Tenkei said in his commentary to the blue cliff record... "whatever comes is it". and so some people just say... 'whatever', to whatever comes. but this just wont do.

if we are to focus on a word... 'so', is very similar to 'it'. just so. (but purer, 'it' is a-moral, whereas 'So' makes a moral statement if it needs to, representing integrity and wholeness.)
the blossom is pink... just so. so is beyond is and an isnt. it is not even it. so. is it good to harm another?... not so. though perhaps ultimately in the scheme of things all is just so, whether tiger or teddy bear. there is on an obvious level a difference between the two, but profoundly both are the dharma of reality. emptiness manifested in the form of a tiger, or the form of a teddy bear.

the hindus have focused on 'is', or 'be'ing, the tibetan buddhists on "as it is", christians on 'as'(?), but superior to as, it and is in my opinion is just that little word 'so'. it contains everything.

the sky is blue. so. god is good. so. 'no' view will do. emptiness. 'every' view is the perfect dharma. so.

its a pretty good little book, sunim's book, when you get bitten by the snake of a hwa dao koan, it will grip you so tightly that it will constantly be in your mind and will only release you once you have cracked it. a good koan book is Zenkei Shibayamas "commentary on the Mumonkan", you can get it on Amazon. before getting it, though perhaps work on 'No' first. remember that the answer to every question has to be 'No'! (when studying the koan).

my own feeling is that some people are looking for more than philosophical enlightenment of any kind... more of an existential and psychic change in themselves, but this is a very good start. just dont think that when you crack a koan, you are fully enlightened! who is?! for me, the big change seems to have come on the dissolving of my self. now there is no me nor mine. i can truly say... no coming, no going... no one to come no one to go. no one to act, no one not to act. its a strange feeling at first. you look at your hand in clear light and and ask yourself is it my hand... there is simply no feeling of mine or possession at any time whatsoever. no feeling of 'my'/mineness about my hand, and then, its just emptiness, though its a hand, theres nothing there. after self ceased to be, there has been a significant change in the way i feel. i cannot say that i am enlightened, since there is no one to be enlightened, i have entered onto the no path with the blowing out of the flame of self. now i do nothing, though apparently doing, i say nothing though apparently speaking. there is a definite change. and yet many would say that fundamentally all people are no self. true, but this is a definite experience, or way of relating to things and being... not being!

perhaps its not necessary to become selfless in a tangible way, only to become enlightened, we all have enlightenment nature. me, you, God, etc etc, emptiness is at the root of all forms, but for me it is simply impossible to become enlightened, since there is no-one to be enlightened!

puffing in the snow
the wind blows cold
a frost in my mind
bitten by the snake
she takes in order to give.
snow drops fall lightly
a cannon couldnt utter
a sound, in this great silence.

though much is attained, ultimately theres nothing in it. its a path of relinquishing, and a path of taking up. but when one becomes no self, one is truly practicing the wayless way.

residing in a farce,
the light shines, enlightenment?
what is that, what is this?!
there is no-one to answer such
a difficult question.
only... So.

love, White Lotus. xxx