Volcano, Earthquake, Tsunami, War

[Raises the Zen stick over his head, then hits the table with the stick.]
BOOM!
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
Our world is always changing-sometimes fast, sometimes slow. When the change is fast, we suffer a lot. Our world changing fast means volcano, earthquake, tsunami, war. Everything is changing …

Dharma Talk with Kimball Amram at Providence Winter Kyol Che

…

Inka Dharma Talk

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]
Cloud is mountain, mountain is cloud.
[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]
Originally no cloud, no mountain.
[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]
Cloud is cloud, mountain is mountain.
Which one of …

Inka Dharma Speech

On April 7, 2001 Myo Ji Sunim received inka in a ceremony at Providence Zen Center with Zen Master Soeng Hyang presiding.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

Empty is full. Full is empty.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

No empty, …

Transmission Speech

You are the universe, the universe is you.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

In this sound, you and universe disappear.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

You are just you, the …

Four Times Five Equals Twenty

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

What is the meaning of this? Mountain is water, water is mountain. In this world, everything has name and form. Within …

Trusting In Mind

A New Translation of the Hsin Hsin Ming, the classic poem by the Third Patriarch of Zen, Seng T’san
Zen Master Hae Kwang

The Great Way is not difficult,
Just don’t pick and choose.
If you cut off all likes or dislikes
Everything is clear like space.

Make the slightest …

Inka Speech

On November 8, 1998, Gae Mun Sunim received inka from Zen Master Seung Sahn at Kwan Yin Chan Lin, our Zen Center in Singapore.

[Raises Zen stick over head, then hits table with stick.]

At this point, receiving inka is losing inka. We say form is emptiness, emptiness is form. …

Losing It is Getting It – Part 1

This is an excerpt from a talk given by Zen Master Seung Sahn to the members of Hwa Gye Sah, our temple in Seoul, on the evening before Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. Traditionally Buddhists will stay up all night practicing meditation on this night in emulation of the Buddha before his …

Enlightenment Day

“Enlightenment Day”

This is an excerpt from a talk given by Zen Master Seung Sahn to the members of Hwa Gye Sah, our temple in Seoul, on the evening before Buddha ‘s Enlightenment Day. Traditionally Buddhists will stay up all night practicing meditation in emulation of the Buddha before his …

What Have We Got to Hold Onto in this Life?

This talk was given during a retreat at Providence Zen Center, October 1983.

Adeline: I have a friend named Terry who is missing. She was in a small plane that crashed in the sea. So everyone assumes she died. But if she is dead, where is she?

Zen Master …

The Spring Geese are Flying North

A Dharma Speech given by the Zen Master Seung Sahn at the opening ceremony of the International Zen Center of New York on April 20, 1975

(Holding up his Zen stick and hitting the table, slowly, three times)

Is this closed? Is this open?

If you say “closed”, you …

Who is it that Sees these Leaves?

A Student wrote to Zen Master Seung Sahn:

In the Fall, there are leaves on the ground. If they are on a lawn, someone may come out of a house and sweep them into little piles. In the afternoon the wind comes and blows all the leaves away. Many …

Where Does the True Buddha Dwell?

Zen Master Ku San wrote to Ven. Duk Sahn as follows:

Once Zen Master Ang Sang asked Zen Master Wi San Yungwoo, ‘Where does the true Buddha dwell?’

Wi San answered, ‘When origination and matter come together, they become light. This light is emptiness and this ‘empty’ is ‘full’. …

Dharma speech given by Zen Master Seung Sahn at the opening of the Cambridge Zen Center Sim Gum Do Institute.

(Hitting the table with the Zen stick three times)

Everybody has been very busy, but you have all come to the opening ceremony of the Cambridge Zen Center Institute …

The Great Way is in Front of the Door

On June 16, 1974 we held an opening ceremony for our new home. On this occasion Zen Master Seung Sahn delivered the following Dharma message:

(Striking the table) Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

(Striking the table) No form, no emptiness.

(Striking the table) Form is form, emptiness is emptiness. …

The Dog Runs Away with the Bone

The Dog Runs Away with the Bone

From a letter:

An eminent teacher once said, “Original consciousness is always clear. Beyond the six roots and six consciousnesses and six dusts, it is not hindered by speech or words. True nature is not dyed. It is already round and clear. Put …

This World is Very Funny

An excerpt from a letter:

This world is very funny. In true nature, all things neither appear nor disappear. Yet people say that things have life and death. This is funny. Things are neither tainted nor pure. Yet people think that some things are good and some things are bad, …

Dependent Origination

While visiting the Sambosa Temple in Carmel Volleys California, Seung Sahn Soen Sa gave a Dharma talk to a large gathering of visitors on a Sunday evening.

Soen Sa, walking up to a table in the front of the room, held a stick up and drew a circle in the …