“Then one more step is necessary: how do you make this truth function to make a correct life? This means, moment to moment, keep Great Love, Great Compassion: How help all beings? The name for this is the Great Bodhisattva Way.”

A STUDENT HAD THE following exchange with Zen Master Seung Sahn following a talk in St. Petersburg: “Zen Master, I ask you to check my mind and give me some advice.”

“That’s a very good question,” Dae Soen Sa Nim replied. “Give me your mind. I’ll take it away for you.”

The student hit the floor.

“Why do you hit the floor? When you hit the floor, already your I-my-me mind disappears. Then how can you ask about mind?”

The student hit the floor again.

“You understand one, but you don’t understand two.”

“‘You’ and ‘I,’” the student replied.

“You’re attached to ‘you’ and ‘I.’”

“No, I’m not,” the student said.

“‘No’? You’re attached to no. You don’t understand no.”

The student did not respond.

“Why is the sky blue?” Dae Soen Sa Nim asked.

Pausing, the student replied, “Because the floor is yellow.”

“No, I asked, ‘Why is the sky blue?’ I didn’t ask you about the floor.”

The student was silent.

“If you understand why the sky is blue, then you understand your true self. That’s the point. Why is the sky blue? Why did you come into this world?”

The student replied, “What do you want?”

“I already hit you thirty times. Do you understand that? Not bad, not bad. Someone asked Zen Master Joju, ‘Does a dog have Buddha-nature?’ He said, ‘Mu!’ [‘No!’] So I ask you, what does Mu mean?”

“Mu means I hit Joju in the morning,” the student replied.

“I asked you about Mu. Don’t say anything about Joju, OK? What does Mu mean?”

“There is no dog, and no Mu.”

“Don’t explain it, OK? Too much thinking! You must cut your understanding; only keep don’t-know.”

The student hit the floor again.

Dae Soen Sa Nim replied, “That’s only a sound, hitting the floor. You don’t understand just Mu.”

“I understand, I understand,” the student protested. “I only . . .”

“Your thinking is a little complicated, yah? You must put down all of your thinking, only return to don’t-know mind. Then your center will become stronger, stronger, stronger. OK? Very wonderful, this practicing. But one more step is necessary. Our practice means understanding our true self: What am I? Only keep a don’t-know mind: ‘What am I? Don’t know . . .’ Then your center becomes stronger and stronger. Your small ‘I’ disappears, then you attain nothing-I, you pass nothing-I, and you attain big-I: the whole universe is you, you are the universe. We call that primary point. Everything comes from primary point and returns to primary point. In your practice, this primary point will grow, grow, grow, grow, until you experience the true reality that, in fact, you and everything are never separate. The sky is blue, the tree is green, the dog is barking, ‘Woof! Woof!’ Sugar is sweet. When you see, when you hear, when you smell, when you taste, when you touch—everything is just like this, truth. You and truth are never separate.

A STUDENT HAD THE following exchange with Zen Master Seung Sahn following a talk in St. Petersburg: “Zen Master, I ask you to check my mind and give me some advice.” “That’s a very good question,” Dae Soen Sa Nim replied. “Give me your mind. I’ll take it away for you.” The student hit the floor. “Why do you hit the floor? When you hit the floor, already your I-my-me mind disappears. Then how can you ask about mind?” The student hit the floor again. “You understand one, but you don’t understand two.” “‘You’ and ‘I,’” the student replied. “You’re attached to ‘you’ and ‘I.’” “No, I’m not,” the student said. “‘No’? You’re attached to no. You don’t understand no.” The student did not respond. “Why is the sky blue?” Dae Soen Sa Nim asked. Pausing, the student replied, “Because the floor is yellow.” “No, I asked, ‘Why is the sky blue?’ I didn’t ask you about the floor.” The student was silent. “If you understand why the sky is blue, then you understand your true self. That’s the point. Why is the sky blue? Why did you come into this world?” The student replied, “What do you want?” “I already hit you thirty times. Do you understand that? Not bad, not bad. Someone asked Zen Master Joju, ‘Does a dog have Buddha-nature?’ He said, ‘Mu!’ [‘No!’] So I ask you, what does Mu mean?” “Mu means I hit Joju in the morning,” the student replied. “I asked you about Mu. Don’t say anything about Joju, OK? What does Mu mean?” “There is no dog, and no Mu.” “Don’t explain it, OK? Too much thinking! You must cut your understanding; only keep don’t-know.” The student hit the floor again. Dae Soen Sa Nim replied, “That’s only a sound, hitting the floor. You don’t understand just Mu.” “I understand, I understand,” the student protested. “I only . . .” “Your thinking is a little complicated, yah? You must put down all of your thinking, only return to don’t-know mind. Then your center will become stronger, stronger, stronger. OK? Very wonderful, this practicing. But one more step is necessary. Our practice means understanding our true self: What am I? Only keep a don’t-know mind: ‘What am I? Don’t know . . .’ Then your center becomes stronger and stronger. Your small ‘I’ disappears, then you attain nothing-I, you pass nothing-I, and you attain big-I: the whole universe is you, you are the universe. We call that primary point. Everything comes from primary point and returns to primary point. In your practice, this primary point will grow, grow, grow, grow, until you experience the true reality that, in fact, you and everything are never separate. The sky is blue, the tree is green, the dog is barking, ‘Woof! Woof!’ Sugar is sweet. When you see, when you hear, when you smell, when you taste, when you touch—everything is just like this, truth. You and truth are never separate. “Then one more step is necessary: how do you make this truth function to make a correct life? This means, moment to moment, keep Great Love, Great Compassion: How help all beings? The name for this is the Great Bodhisattva Way.”

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