Primary Point Fall 2003 - Kwan Um School of Zen

Volume 21 • Number 2 • Fall 2003

Primary Point

In this issue

Dialogue with Songbon SunimZen Master Seung Sahn ......................................................3

2002 Whole World is a Single FlowerConference and Tour in Korea

Good Teaching Zen Master Dae Kwang ............................8

Travelogue .................................................................... 10

Buddha’s TearsZen Master Wu Kwang ....................................................18

Like the Blink of an EyeGrazyna Perl JDPSN .......................................................19

Hell in the Middle of ParadiseGrazyna Perl JDPSN .......................................................20

108 Bows .......................................................................22

Book ReviewsJudy Roitman JDPSN ......................................................23Algernon D’Ammassa ...................................................... 24

Books in Our Tradition ..............................................16, 17Membership in the Kwan Um School of Zen ......................29Kwan Um School of Zen Centers ...........................29, 30, 31

DPrimary Point

99 Pound Road, Cumberland RI 02864-2726 U.S.A.Telephone 401/658-1476 • Fax 401/658-1188www.kwanumzen.org • [email protected]

online archives www.kwanumzen.org/primarypoint

Published by the Kwan Um School of Zen, a nonprofit religiouscorporation under the spiritual direction of Zen Master Seung Sahn.Zen Master Seung Sahn, 78th Patriarch in the Korean Chogye order,is the first Korean Zen Master to live and teach in the West. In 1972,after teaching in Korea and Japan for many years, he founded the KwanUm sangha, which today has affiliated groups around the world. Hehas given transmission to Zen Masters, and “inka”—teaching author-ity—to senior students called Ji Do Poep Sa Nims, “dharma masters.”

The Kwan Um School of Zen supports the worldwide teachingschedule of the Zen Masters and Ji Do Poep Sa Nims, assists themember Zen centers and groups in their growth, issues publications oncontemporary Zen practice, and supports dialogue among religions. Ifyou would like to become a member of the School and receive PrimaryPoint, see page 29. The circulation is 5000 copies.

The views expressed in Primary Point are not necessarily those of thisjournal or the Kwan Um School of Zen.

© 2003 Kwan Um School of Zen

Senior EditorSchool Abbot Zen Master Dae Kwang

Editor-in-ChiefSchool Executive Director JW Harrington

Production ManagerSchool Publications Director Dorota Streitfeld

Editor for AsiaMu Shim Sunim JDPS

Teaching EditorsZen Master Bon Haeng • Zen Master Bon Soeng

Poetry EditorAlan Davies, P.O. Box 687,

Peter Stuyvesant Station, New York NY 10009

Book Review EditorJudy Roitman JDPSN

PhotographyThom Pastor JDPSN

Kimball AmramJody BlackwellJohn HollandMario Intino

Michael O’SullivanTrish O’Sullivan

Transcription and Copy EditingChong Hae Sunim JDPS

Chong Won SunimTamarind JordanJayne Harrington

Dialoguebetween Zen Master Seung Sahn and Songbon Sunim

from Empty House: Zen Masters and Templesof Korea, Eastward Publishing, 2002

With the development of science and technology it seemsas though humanity is gradually suffocating itself. There seemsto be more distrust in the world than ever before and peopleare gradually becoming more and more isolated and alien-ated from each other. Human beings are even described bysome as mechanical robots living under the yoke of modernsociety. Dissatisfaction appears to be growing and people arelosing what inherent self-awareness they possess. What hasmade the human being, who ought to be the master of his/herdestiny, become like this? What can be done in order to ad-dress the problems facing modern society? What role can Zenplay in curing the disease of this age? This dialogue on thetheme of Modern Civilization and Zen took place betweenZen Master Seung Sahn of Hwagye-sa and Songbon Sunim,a professor of Dongguk Buddist University, in an effort toidentify the problems faced by modern society and offer pos-sible solutions to them.

Songbon Sunim: Modern civilization seems to be con-fronted by five critical problems: war, shortage of food, over-population, destruction of the environment and the loss ofhumanity. Each issue is interrelated, but particularly the lossof humanity appears to be the cause of escalating social prob-lems. It is believed that Buddhism directly addresses these is-sues. Would you begin with your thoughts about war?

Zen Master Seung Sahn at theWhole World is a Single Flower conference, October 2003

P R I M A R Y P O I N T F a l l 2 0 0 3

4]

Seung Sahn Sunim: Wars are caused by changes in thebalance of power in the world. There are different realmsof power which all interact in this world: the powerwielded by humans, the power associated with the ani-mal kingdom and the power of nature itself. Of these, thepower wielded by mankind has become the most danger-ous. It must be evident to all, that mankind is currentlyresponsible for most of the damage being inflicted on theearth.

Within the human realm, it can be seen that the ego-ism of personal desire is starting to control most of soci-ety. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, ideologyplayed an important role in controlling society. However,since the early 1990s, with the advent of the age of freemarket capitalism, it is evident that this is no longer thecase. Humans are now the slaves of economics. Humanbeings are starting to resemble dogs, cattle and horses inthat their only concern is survival. So human beings arebecoming even worse than animals. Animals at least at-tack other animals out of necessity when hungry, but hu-mans behave much worse than that, even though they arealready satiated. War is brought about by this kind of hu-man being.

Collective egoism in society seems to be growing irrespec-tive of nationality, religion or political persuasion. Perhapscollective egoism can be viewed as another kind of war at thenational level. And as the fire of this egoism rages we see thehuman being change into an economic animal. How canthis issue be addressed by Buddhism?

Humans have two kinds of power, the inherent andinvisible power within the mind and the externally di-rected power to act in the world. When humans focussolely on the material world without, then the outer worldbecomes collectivized and organized. Grouping togetherand fighting for food results in war. It is from this that, Ithink, the destruction of human nature originated. Form-ing groups for self-protection and fighting each other isthe way of animals. This problem can be cured when thetrue nature of mankind is uncovered. The world was notcreated for humans only. So in order to live in harmonyin this world, the mind of great compassion needs to begenerated. In the absence of this quality of mind it is notpossible for all human beings to co-exist in peace. For ex-ample, animals that are butchered to satisfy people’s greedwill only be reborn again carrying with them the seeds ofwar and revenge. The only way to overcome this is to worktowards the collective self-realization of mankind.

The world religions of today can be divided generally intotwo kinds in terms of geographical environments and climates.The religions and philosophies which originated from Indiaand China are categorized as the “religions of the forest,” whilstthe monotheistic which originated from the Middle East suchas Judaism and Islam are categorized as the “religions of thedesert”. The East seems to emphasize the harmony of bothhumans and nature while the West tends to emphasize theirdivision and separation. Humans and nature are believed tobe inseparable in the “religions of forest.” Accordingly there isthe conception of “all things are one.” So humans tried to livetheir life in the knowledge that they were an integral part ofnature. In the “religions of the desert” on the other hand, aGod as absolute maker of the world was created. So peoplecame to believe in and follow this only God, creator of allthings, not accepting the existence of other gods and beings.As I see it, the problems of modern society stem from thisreligious tradition with the dualistic thought structure.

Yes, I believe that you are right. There is no past in thereligions of the West. They are heading merely from thepresent to the future. This blocks people from seeing man-kind as a part of nature. On the other hand, Buddhismadmits the past, the present, and the future. The presentis the result of the past, and the future is the result of thepresent. When we view things in this way, the balance ofthe world and nature will be preserved in the correct man-ner.

This dualistic foundation of western religion, which hasthe tendency to analyze and divide, seems also to be carriedthrough into western science. Western science, in which thedissecting and analysis of things is regarded as its purpose,tries to break down things which simply cannot be brokendown. For example, living things once broken down into their


[5composite parts will obviously no longer be living things. Ithink that this is the biggest weakness of modern science. AlsoI think that the analytic, dualistic way of thinking is thecause of much of the confusion in the world today.

Actually, it is a fact that Buddhism also divides andanalyzes. But the difference is that Buddhism proposes away to return to the origin. This point is illustrated by thehwadu: “Ten thousand things all return to the one; towhere does the one return?” As you know well, this hwaducomes from a dialogue between Zen Master Joju and an-other monk. This hwadu clearly expresses the east Asianidea that the root of everything is one.

Furthermore, this hwadu provides a direct insight intothe very essence of Zen and east Asian thought. That is tosay, the idea that by emptying oneself and completely im-mersing oneself in nature, one can find oneness with theuniverse. Also it raises a profound question about the ori-gin of existence. “The ten thousand things” symbolize thepositive attributes of affirmation, existence, differentia-tion and the real aspect of phenomena. On the other hand,“the One” represents the idea of negation, emptiness, non-differentiation and equality. So you can appreciate thatBuddhist philosophy also involves an element of analysisand division. However, underneath all this, the underly-ing intent is always the return to the origin.

On the contrary, in Western philosophy one finds theroots of modern society with its obsession with specializa-tion and fragmentation, which is leading to the system-atic mechanization of mankind. So human beings are los-ing their essential humanness or humanity. Although thisis taking place, the damage is not necessarily irreversible.A way back is possible but not through any paradigm of-fered by western philosophy. Only Buddhism and Zencan offer real solutions.

The difference between eastern and western philosophy isalso reflected in the different approaches taken by eastern andwestern medicine. Eastern medicine is essentially preventa-tive in nature, seeking to protect and strengthen the weakerorgans of the body, while Western medicine is reparatory innature focusing on the surgical removal of the weak and sickparts. A parallel can be drawn in the different concepts offreedom and peace. In the east, punishment consists of exilefrom society to create a kind of mental freedom. However, inthe west punishment consists of confinement, which focuseson the limitation of spatial freedom. So one can see that inthe east there’s the pursuit of mental and inner freedom andpeace while in the west there is the pursuit of material andouter freedom and peace. Many scholars believe that if societyis to evolve in the future, mankind must focus on the Easternconcept of inner mental freedom.


6]

that all people possess the Buddha nature, which is the seed ofrealization, is established. So in this regard, I completely agreewith you.

There is no investigation of the person who is doingthe dividing and analyzing in the western philosophicaland scientific tradition. In other words, there is no ques-tion of who the “I,” the person doing the analyzing, is.On the other hand, as I indicated before, Buddhism, be-ing concerned with returning to the origin, investigatesthe “I.” This is the salient feature of Buddhism. Never-theless we now belong to the scientific and technical age.So we need to consider carefully how to effectively com-municate the ideas of Buddhism in order to make Bud-dhism relevant to the modern world.

I feel that Buddhism in Korea won’t become relevant tomodern society merely through the reorganization of its insti-tutions. The spreading of the Buddhist message to the rest ofthe world will only take place when the prevailing thinkingchanges. So when the education of the Buddhist monks im-proves in quality, then we’ll see the proliferation of the Bud-dhist ideal.

Humans are not born out of choice, but it is possibleto control one’s destiny to a degree. This can be achievedby controlling one’s mind. This is the most importantteaching of the Buddha. If I can control my mind, thenmy destiny can be changed. Through Zen practice andYombul (mantra repetition), karma is dissolved and so one’sdestiny will naturally be altered. Just as a film director canedit the film he works with, destiny can be controlled whenone realizes the self. Isn’t the essence of Wonhyo’s teach-ings of “Harmonization” and the practice of “No Obstacle”all about controlling one’s own action and not discrimi-nating against others?

Yes, absolutely. I agree. This is not a passing trend. Manywestern scholars are feeling the limitation of their ownstudies, and are exploring the eastern approach throughZen practice. This shows the limitation of the westernphilosophic approach. Why do you think scholars withPh.D.’s are becoming involved in Zen? It’s because theyare blocked. They are not finding the breakthroughs andsolutions that they expected through the western para-digm. Just as Zen monks do Zen practice to cut throughthe discriminating mind, they are taking up Zen practicein order to find a way to break through their doubts.

Many scholars are convinced that the principles of Bud-dhism will be an important instrument in future philosophi-cal studies as well as in bringing about world peace. What doyou think about the principles of Buddhism as they relate toworld peace?

Well, the first thing is that you should realize yourself.How can peace be found without knowing yourself? Inself-realization one finds the state of perfect equanimity.At this stage, you realize the origin of the phenomenalworld and the intrinsic meaning of life. You also come topossess the wisdom to discriminate correctly so that ulti-mately your mind is not disturbed by events taking placearound you. In other words, one is able to live one’s lifecomfortably and composedly without worries or anxiety.So when human beings come to know themselves as theyreally are, meaningless disputes will cease, and there willbe peace.

Yes, you are correct. I think this is basically Wonhyo’s prin-ciple of mutual interpenetration and all-inclusiveness. Thepower of returning to the origin rather than dividing andanalyzing; this is what Buddhism is really about. I agree withyour idea that world peace will be attained when the idea

Zen Master Seung Sahnwith Ji Do Poep Sa Nims

Judy Roitman andDennis Duermeier

at Mu Sang Sa


[7

As human beings we need desperately to eliminate ourselfishness and consider the welfare of all living beings, in-cluding the planet itself, if we are to survive as a species. Theplanet is being crippled by our own uncontrolled pollution.As an example of this, every day we face the issue of how todispose of our garbage. So what is the Buddhist approach todealing with these kinds of mundane issues?

You have a very good point. I think we need to adoptthe Zen Buddhist idea of not wasting even a single grainof rice. If we live with this ethic then naturally we’ll beable to find a sustainable solution to the issues of foodand the elimination of waste matter. In the absence ofsuch an approach it is unlikely that we’ll be able to reversethe crippling damage that we are inflicting on our ownplanet. At the same time we need to train our own minds.Purity and restraint within our own selves will lead natu-rally to the solution of the mundane problems we face inthe material world.

It seems that those with genuine spiritual understandingwill have to assume many roles and do many things in thisage. Only if Buddhists assume the mantle of responsibility inthis way, can we avert the inevitable disaster being broughton by the modern life. Technological civilization with itsmechanized industrial structures has gradually been consum-ing the humanity of the individual. I think for those broughtup in the theistic social and religious traditions of the west,the spirit and culture of Zen Buddhism will bring a freshimpetus.

Of course what you say is correct. We need to perfectourselves first, and at the same time we should endeavorto transmit the Buddhist teachings to our neighbors. Thisis the way to benefit not only our own country but alsosociety at large, and the whole world. No matter how muchscience develops, it will never be able to fathom the se-crets of consciousness itself. So ultimately, through em-pirical scientific investigation, the understanding of thehuman being is impossible. The human being is a com-posite entity of both body and mind. Consequently theintrinsic desire for the improvement of life can only befulfilled through the spiritual life. One of the main tenetsof Zen Buddhism is that the individual must experienceand affirm the truth for himself or herself.

It might just be that the significance of Zen to themodern age will be to enable the individual to find thewisdom to live his/her life resourcefully and confidently.The spiritual world cannot be seen or affirmed throughthe physical eyes. It can only be comprehended throughthe mental eye of realization. Buddhism is useful in thatit can help people internalize the problems of this mod-ern age through their individual experience. We must cometo realize that civilization will not be saved by God orBuddha, but by ourselves. With the help of the wisdomof Zen Buddhism we can recover our humanity and leadmeaningful lives in harmony with each other and the worldwe inhabit. So we must all become bodhisattvas in orderto save the world.

Un Mun Sa (top and bottom); Zen Master Seung Sahn’s hermitage (middle)


8]Human beings are very attached to name and

form, and because they’re attached to name andform, they suffer. The Buddha taught that allsuffering comes from this one point. He practicedvery hard for a long time and completely let go ofname and form. Then he got up from under thebodhi tree and used name and form for 45 years tohelp our world. That’s our job too. One time ZenMaster Seung Sahn said that to be attached to theteacher and to follow the teacher are two differentthings. If you’re attached to the teacher, then thisjust makes more suffering, and the wonderfulmessage that a good teacher has becomes suffering.

One time there was a man who was lost in thewoods. As the days went by he became weaker andweaker and more frightened. Then one night aperson came by with a flashlight and said, “Comefollow me, I’ll show you the way out of the woods.”The man was very relieved and followed him. That’sinteresting because at the time he was lost, he didn’tcare what color the person was with the flashlight.He didn’t care if the person was female or male. Hedidn’t care if the person was a Buddhist or a Muslim.He didn’t care if the person had ever given a dharmaspeech or not. Instead, he only wanted one thing—out. The true meaning of the teacher/studentrelationship is also very simple; it means just onething, “What are you?”

Opening speech by Zen Master Dae Kwang at theWhole World is a Single Flower Conference atMu Sang Sa, October 2002

[Holds Zen stick high over head, strikes table.]

Teacher is student and student is teacher.

A long time ago in China, Joju Zen Master said,“If I meet a seven year old who can teach me, I willlisten. If I meet a seventy year old man who needsinstruction, I will teach him.” That’s our originalnature, it can take any form—student or teacher, itdoesn’t matter. Just like water it takes the shape ofany vessel.

[Holds stick up high over head, strikes table.]

This point means no student, no teacher.

Our original nature has no name, speech or words.But I already opened my mouth too much, so mydharma speech is a mistake.

[Holds stick up high over head, strikes table.]

Teacher is teacher, student is student.

This is the truth of our everyday life. Some peopleare teachers, some people are students. But this truthis not enough. More important is: How does thistruth function?

Ho!Outside the rice is ripe. Inside, many shiny faces

from around the world have come to Mu Sang Sahto attend the Whole World is a Single Flowerconference.

good

teaching


[9

At the time of the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng, therewas one other famous teacher of Zen in China, themonk Shen Hsui. Hui Neng lived in the south atNam Hwa Sah temple while Shen Hsui taught inthe north. At one time Shen Hsui sent one of histop students, Chih-ch’eng, to visit the SixthPatriarch and report back about his system ofteaching. When Chih-ch’eng asked Hui Neng forhis dharma, he said something very interesting, “Ihave no dharma. If I said I had a system of dharmato teach you, I would be lying.” Hui Neng said hehad nothing to teach, he only liberated peopleaccording to circumstances. Buddha said in theDiamond Sutra that in his whole life he didn’t sayeven one word. Zen Master Seung Sahn said thatour school’s teaching is only one thing: Don’t Know.Thank you very much Zen Master Seung Sahn forthis wonderful teaching.

There is a very interesting teaching phrase in Zen:If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. Onetime Zen Master Seung Sahn said that if you wantto attain something in Zen you must first kill yourparents. Then you must kill the Buddha and finallyyou must kill your teacher.

[Strikes table with Zen stick.]

Good teaching is bad teaching. Bad teaching isgood teaching. That point has already taught us.


This point means, keep away from good teachingand bad teaching.


Good teaching is good teaching and bad teachingis bad teaching.

So Buddha held up a flower… is that goodteaching or bad teaching? Huang Po beat Lin Chiwith a stick three times. Is that good teaching orbad teaching? Zen Master Man Gong said that thewhole world is a single flower, is that good teachingor bad teaching?

Ho!

Welcome to our Whole World is a Single Flowercelebration. Please have a good time!

Zen MasterDae Kwang

andThom Pastor

JDPSN

Scenes from the Whole World is a Single Flower conference andtour: Seoul airport, on the way to Bo Won Sa Ji,Zen Master Wu Bong and Zen Master Dae Kwang


10] TravThe Whole World is a Single Flower conference was

billed as an opportunity to return to the roots of ourpractice. Of course the roots of our practice are in ourown experience of suffering, but still it’s a very interestingand sometimes emotional experience to visit the very placeswhere many of the dharma stories we all know so welltook place. Zen Master Seung Sahn has always encourgedZen students to travel. The experience helps widen ourminds and deepen our wisdom. This is even more truewhen you visit a foreign country with a radically differentculture and history, like Korea. For many of us theexperiences of the trip went far beyond the usual “touristtrip.” The landscapes, the buildings, even the tastes andsmells resonated deeply within us.

The Whole World conference was kicked off with aceremony and Korean entertainment at Mu Sang Sa, ournew temple in Korea. For many of us it was the first timeto see Zen Master Seung Sahn in person. As he enteredthe meditation hall he was greeted by a spontaneous andemotional standing ovation. In addition to the group of36 from the United States, Canada, France, and Germany,

Contributors: Zen Master Dae Kwang, Judy RoitmanJDPSN, Chong Hae Sunim JDPS, John Holland, JodyBlackwell, and Liatris Studer

In October of 2002, Kwan Um School of Zen membersfrom around the world gathered in Korea for the triennialWhole World is a Single Flower Conference and tour. Thetrip to Korea from the west is a long one—16 hours fromNew York to Seoul. International flights of this length aremore than tedious, they’re downright soul-numbing.However, they are not without their lighter moments. ZenMaster Wu Kwang said that as they were flying over theKamchecka Peninsula they were experiencing some roughair when the pilot broke in with an anouncement, “Eventhough we are experiencing some turbulence, it would beunwise for us to deviate from our course at this time sincewe are flying over Russia.”

A Korean cultural center; an outdoor market; Kyung Ho Sunim’s room at Cheon Jang Sa


[11aveloguethere were also representatives from the Hong Kong andSingapore sanghas. We were also honored by the presenceof two old friends of Zen Master Seung Sahn’s: Byoek AmKunsunim, the precepts master for the Kwan Um Schoolof Zen, and Noritake Kotoku Roshi, who has temples inOsaka and Kyoto.

The day after the ceremony we embark on a six-daytour visiting temples and hermitages associated with ourlineage. Without a doubt the highest point of the trip isour climb up Won Gak Mountain to Bu Yong Am, thehermitage where Zen Master Seung Sahn gotenlightenment while chanting the Great Dharani for onehundred days in 1948. Perched high on a cliff above MaGok Sa—the temple where Zen Master Ko Bong has hisZen center—Bu Yong Am presents us with a stunningmountain vista. Suddenly, a sense of place overtakes us…we chant the Great Dharani to honor the effort andpractice of our teacher. We are no longer tourists but againrooted in the essence of our tradition. We linger there;nobody is in a hurry to leave. We present a gift of chocolates

and cheese to the resident monk. On the way down wecome upon the stream where Zen Master Seung Sahnbathed and refreshed himself; we follow it as it threads itsway down the mountain. The sound of the waterfall andthe bird’s song are the great sutras.

One of the most interesting places we visit is CheonJang Sa, the remote mountain temple where Kyong HoSunim sent the young thirteen-year-old monk Man Gongfor Zen training. This is the same temple where five yearslater a village boy asked Man Gong the question that wasto change his life, “The ten thousand dharmas return tothe One… where does the One return?” It is also the regionwhere one of the most compelling Kyong Ho Sunim storiestakes place:

Early one fall as Kyong Ho Sunim was climbinginto the high mountains for a retreat, he encounteredsome young men carrying firewood down the mountain.At over six feet tall with a wispy beard and dressed inragged clothes, Kyong Ho Sunim was quite a strikingfigure. As the teenagers passed him they stared, pokingfun at him: “Sunim, why are you wearing those tattered


12] clothes. Sunim, why don’t you cut that beard, it is too long!”Kyong Ho Sunim stopped and said, “OK, OK, but I’ll make

a bet with you guys—if you can hit me with one of those sticksyou can have all my clothes, my food and my money. If you can’thit me then you will go on about your way and not say anythingabout me.”

The boys jumped at the chance: “It’s a deal! We can hit youeasy.” Then the boldest of the boys removed the load of firewoodfrom his back, drew out a stick and hit Kyong Ho Sunim.

Immediately Kyong Ho Sunim said, “You didn’t hit me.” Theyoung man hit him again. Again he said, “You didn’t hit me.”

At this the young men became quite angry at being cheatedand started hitting him repeatedly saying, “Yes we can! Yes wecan!” Finally they pummeled Kyong Ho Sunim to the ground.“We hit you, so give us your money and food. You can’t cheat us.”

As Kyong Ho Sunim struggled to his feet he said, “OK, youcan have my things.” After settling up, he turned and walkedaway. After a few steps he turned and said, “But you didn’t hitme!”

Next we visit a famous hermitage associated with Zen MasterMan Gong, Ganwoldo, on an island near Yeunpo. It was establishedby Zen Master Muhak in 1376 and is separated from the mainlandat high tide. Looking out to sea from this tranquil spot, we enjoy abeautiful sunset. The Yellow Sea here reminds us of the famous“Moving Mountains, Moving Boat” kong-an, in which Man Gongtook a boat ride with his students. At first there is water coveringthe sandbar that leads to the temple and we don’t think that we cancross over, but an intrepid Korean woman from our party removesher shoes, hikes her skirt, and wades across to enthusiastic applause.As the tide ebbs, we follow her. Like so many pilgrims before, we

12]

Myo Haeng Sunim’s restaurant at Daejon


[13wait outside the temple’s iron gate. The temple dogs do their job bybarking at us while the resident monk slowly rings the temple bellthirty-three times to announce the beginning of evening chanting.What can we do? Before us is an impassable gate and behind us thesea is lapping at our heels. As the bell stops we tentatively call out,“Yo bo se yo! Hello!” Realizing that we are not the usual rowdytourist, the monk lets us in. After he regales us with stories of recenttsunamis and ancient temple lore, we retreat back across the sandbar.On the mainland, we notice a cardboard box containing the remainsof small candles—undoubtedly left behind by a shaman praying forthe safe return of local fishermen.

After spending several days traveling around the Dok SahnMountain area, we head south about 100 miles to Un Mun Sa. Thistemple, located on Tiger Mountain, was established in the year 560.Recently Master Beak Pa (1767–1852), who created the distinctionbetween Patriarchal, Tathagata, and Rational Zen, resided here. Since1958, Un Mun Sa has served as the largest training center for nunsin Korea. About 250 bhikkunis follow a three- to five-year couse atthe sutra school.

After a temple tour, one of the older nuns invites us to tea. As weare chatting, she suddenly gets a girlish twinkle in her eye and shareswith us a story from her early days as a novice. It is always difficultfor recent initiates to get up at 3:00 am, especially in the winter.They usually straggle into the chanting hall at the last minute withpuffy eyes and yawns. In order to “inspire” them, the proctor wouldsometimes sneak around early and fill their rubber shoes with waater.Of course, the water would rapidly form a thin layer of ice. Steppinginto those shoes was quite a surprise! Everyone was wide-awake forchanting on those mornings.

[13

Chanting outside Zen Master Seung Sahn’s hermitage


14]Reflection on Un Mun Sa: Jody Blackwell, Cambridge Zen Center

One of my vivid memories of the Korea trip was our 3:00 am trek to UnMun Sa temple, near the southeastern Korean coast, to join the nuns fortheir morning chanting. My trip up to that point had been fraught withgadgets, among which was a minidisc recorder I had brought for sampling“Korean noises,” whatever that meant. Sightseeing had become a dizzyingcycle of suspense, wonder, delight, and then frantic documentation withthe camera and recorder, often ending in self-flagellation.

When we arrived at Un Mun Sa in the surreal stillness of pre-dawn, mybreath was at once taken away by the melancholy GONG of the morningtemple bell and its deep, rich overtones. Again I madly scrambled for myrecorder as if I had just discovered Elvis alive. But as we entered the Buddhahall, the dim candlelight betrayed a “Low Battery” message on the recorder.My heart sank. Anytime but now! A painful desire to capture the audiolandscape unfolding before me was now a lost chance; all I could do wasbear witness to events passing too rapidly for even my mind to grasp.

The voices of the nuns were surprisingly low and robust. As they, andwe, sang the Great Dharani, waves of harmony would roll and break throughthe room like an ocean tide. It was so beautiful that I had to stop chantingfor the lump in my throat, knowing that the experience was mine only fora moment. Coming empty-handed, going empty handed. I hear that overand over, but listening to the nuns at Un Mun Sa, I understood just howdeep my clinging, keeping, holding karma was. Walking through the templegrounds at sunrise, without my camera (I had also run out of film), I wasincredibly sad to have lost the illusion that I could preserve that morning. Iwas also grateful that I’d been given that teaching in such an unforgettableplace.

Causeway to Ganwoldo island


[15

Afterward: Judy Roitman JDPSN

I was overwhelmed by the beautyand power of the Korean landscape —mountains everywhere, the sea, ricefields tucked into every conceivablecorner, crystalline streams, rockstumbling on rocks, stone steps builtpatiently over years. The strongemotional connection to those placeswhere our teachers and ancestors havepracticed. Chanting outside ZenMaster Seung Sahn’s hermitage—thank you, Tamar, for suggesting this!The incredible privilege of being inthose places where Zen Master KyongHo, Zen Master Man Gong, ZenMaster Ko Bong, and Zen MasterSeung Sahn taught and practiced.

[left] View from Zen Master Seung Sahn’s hermitage;[above] Zen Master Bon Soeng and a temple guardian


16]

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teaching ofZen Master Seung Sahn. Compiled and edited byStephen Mitchell. A delightful, irreverent, andoften hilarious record of interactions with Westernstudents. 244 pages.Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3052-6. $12.00

A Gathering of Spirit: Women Teaching in Ameri-can Buddhism. Edited by Ellen Sidor. Talks anddiscussions from three landmark conferences at Provi-dence Zen Center. Third edition, 1992. 156 pages.Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-05-9. $11.95

Thousand Peaks: Korean Zen—Traditions andTeachers. Mu Soeng. The spirit of Zen’s golden agesurvives in Korean Zen. Primary Point Press edition,1991. 256 pages.Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-02-4.SPECIAL SALE: $8.00

Bone of Space: Poems by Zen Master Seung Sahn.This collection captures a master’s thoughts duringeveryday life—while traveling, talking on the phone,attending a friend’s funeral. Primary Point Pressedition, 1992. 128 pages.Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-06-7. $15.00

order through your favorite bookseller or at www.kwanumzen.com/ppp

A fresh approach to Zen


[17

Wake Up! On the Road with a Zen Master. An entertain-ing documentary that captures Zen Master Seung Sahn’senergy and presents the core of his teaching. 1992. VHS.54 minutes.Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-07-5. $30.00

Open Mouth Already a Mistake: Talks by ZenMaster Wu Kwang. Teaching of a Zen master whois also a husband, father, practicing Gestalt therapistand musician. 1997. 238 pages.Primary Point Press. ISBN 0-942795-08-3. $18.95

Compass of Zen. Zen Master Seung Sahn. Com-piled and edited by Hyon Gak Sunim JDPS. It is asimple, clear, and often hilarious presentation of theessential teachings of the main Buddhist traditions—culminating in Zen—by one of the most belovedZen Masters of our time. 1997. 394 pages.Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-329-5. $21.95

The Whole World is a Single Flower: 365 Kong-ans forEveryday Life. Zen Master Seung Sahn. The first kong-ancollection to appear in many years; Christian, Taoist, andBuddhist sources. 1993. 267 pages.Tuttle. ISBN 0-8048-1782-0. $22.95

Only Don’t Know: Teaching Letters of Zen MasterSeung Sahn. Issues of work, relationships, and suffer-ing are discussed as they relate to meditation practice.1999. 230 pages.Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-432-1. $14.95

One of the oldest living Zen

traditions has produced a new body of literature on Zen history and practice.


18]

A number of years ago, there was a long-time student inNew York who was having some difficulty with practice—a crisis of meaning that many of us go through at differenttimes.

It was about this time of year when the student said tome, “I really don’t know if I can listen to the story ofBuddha’s birth one more time.” [laughter] Actually, everyyear I really don’t know if I can tell the story of Buddha’sbirth one more time. [laughter] But, embedded in thisperson’s remark—“I don’t know if I can listen to the storyof Buddha’s birth one more time”—is the essence of practice.Because if you truly don’t know, through and through, thenlistening is possible, seeing is possible, feeling is possible,connecting is possible, and having engagement with othersis possible. And that, in and of itself, is actually giving birthto the Buddha at that moment.

Now, according to the traditional story, the Buddhasprang from his mother’s side and walked seven steps ineach direction and then issued his first teaching about “whatis true self.” However, a number of years ago at a Buddha’sEnlightenment day ceremony, Zen Master Seung Sahnoffered another story. Standing before the sangha, he said,“Two thousand, five hundred and some-odd years ago,Buddha got enlightenment by seeing a star. But if Buddhawere to get enlightenment today, it would not be expressedby looking at the star and saying, ‘Ah, wonderful.’” ThenZen Master Seung Sahn stood silently, letting his facebecome sadder and sadder, while his finger slowly tracedan imaginary tear running down his cheek. “That,” he saidquietly, “would be Buddha’s enlightenment here and nowtoday.”

But now, we have another today. I think that if Buddha’sbirth were to occur here and now it would not be byspringing from the right side of his mother, but maybe byemerging from some of her teardrops. Because it is quitesad that people once again are killing other people in thisworld. It is quite sad that young men and women are goingoff to war and really don’t know all the essential reasonsconnected with why they are being sent. And sad becausethey will probably do serious damage to other people andwill have to cope with the psychological repercussions ofthat for the rest of their lives. It is quite sad that leaders ofcountries and other world leaders do not know how to talkto and get along with each other. And it is incredibly sadthat young children are hearing bombs dropping near themday after day.

I think it is very important that we enter into thatsadness—and that we let the emergence of that sadness givebirth to Buddha’s mind of compassion, joined with clearseeing, wisdom and some kind of straightforward action.

Opening talk by Zen Master Wu Kwangat the Buddha’s Birthday Ceremony

at Providence Zen Center, April 5, 2003

Zen Master Wu Kwang at the Whole World is a Single FlowerConference and Tour

tears

b u d d h a’ s


[19

How can one not be motivated to practice in such aninspiring environment? It’s quiet, but not too quiet. Thereis construction going on here as the new Buddha Hall isbeing built, so your mantra sometimes takes on the rhythmof a hammer and a saw. After the workday is finished,only the sounds of the small temple bells interrupt theeveing silence. Zen Master Seung Sahn said “It’s easy tofind quiet in a quiet place, true silence is not dependenton anything.”

[Watch your step]

During the breaks, after having tea, you can hike inthe surrounding mountains. The mountains welcome eachof us with different paths: steep ones and easy ones, oryou can just sit by a mountain spring and let your mindfollow the shimmering water.

As the fall progresses and the snow comes, everythingbecomes white and silent. The cold freezes the mountainstream into wondrous sculptures. Every day nature bringsnew experiences, every day the mind brings new challenges,and every day the small bells outside the temple ring: ding-dong, ding-dong… wake up, wake up!

[Everything is coming and going]

The three months passed in the blink of an eye. TheKyol Che is finished and suddenly time, problems, andopinions seem so unimportant. Where did it come fromand where did it go? Everybody wants something… whatdo you want? If you do Kyol Che with a “put it all down”mind and let go of your situation and opinions, you willget everything.

[In the mountains]

Standing on the top of a mountain,Between the high sky and the low ground.

There is no this or that.Then, why is the temple bellbeing rung every morning?

KATZ!

When the baby cries, mother comes.

[The floor is yellow, the wall is white]

One quiet spot in the dharma room and four bowlsfilled with good food—that is Kyol Che at Mu Sang Sa.

When we arrived at Mu Sang Sa, near the Korean cityof Daejon, we were welcomed by a group of monks andnuns. After a matter-of-fact introduction, we were drivento a public bathhouse. After soaking luxuriously in an herb-filled hot bath, we were all ready to start practicing.

During our stay at Mu Sang Sa, the directors took careof us with a simple “just do it” and “how can I help?”mind, a very comforting atmosphere. Once, a friend ofmy mother said, “A good government is one that you don’tnotice.” It was like that here; we were not bothered withanything, we could practice peacefully. All the temple di-rectors and staff, starting with the abbot Mu Shim SunimJDPS and ending with the Haeng Ja Nims, worked veryhard. One of the participants said, “There is nothing todo and nothing to worry about here, just practice.”

[Meditation]

Sitting silent and stillOne sees the flow of mind’s creations.

You understand that you were following phantoms.From now on, what will you follow?

KATZ!

The branches are dancingas the wind blows through the trees.

[White cloud over a blue mountain]

Mu Sang Sa is situated at the foot of Kuk Sa Song peak.Looking out from the temple, one sees a valley vista: smalllakes, rice fields, and scattered farmhouses; a vast pan-orama of mountains on the horizon. One feels embracedby the surrounding landscape.

Zen Master Seung Sahn said that there is very strongManjushri and Kwan Seum Bosal energy here, the energyof wisdom and compassion.

like

the

blink

of

an

eye

Kyol Che at Mu Sang Sa 2002/2003

Grazyna Perl, JDPSN


20]

Given the situation in Israel these days, I was expect-ing very strict security checks on my flight from Paris toTel Aviv. However, there was only a bit more security inParis and Vienna for the flight—much less than I hadprepared for. After a three hour flight I arrived at the TelAviv airport. It felt just like at any airport in the world. Itook my luggage and went to meet sangha members Yuvaland Gal, who were there smiling, and off we went. In thecar I was all eyes and ears, expecting I don’t know what…almost anything.

The weather was great: blue sky, streets filled with hand-some people on errands. I thought, “This is nothing likewhat I saw on television.” In the evening Yuval took mefor a long walk along the sea. The beach was beautiful.We sat in chairs in the middle of the beach, having wineand watching the sun set over the sea. What could be morerelaxing and peaceful?

The retreat started the next day in Tevon. We drove tothe retreat through the Carmel Mountains, from which Icould admire some more of this beautiful country. Now,being closer to the people, I had started to feel more ofwhat’s behind their handsome faces and beautiful scen-

ery, a shadowy sorrow and sadness that does not surfaceeasily. People live, work, have families—try to continue“normal” life, no matter how heavy the emotional “back-pack” they drag around.

The retreat started; twenty people crowded into a smalldharma room. There was a warm, nice fragrance comingfrom the surrounding trees. A constant bird’s song accom-panied our practice. It was the very first retreat in Israelwith formal meals. Step by step, the students learned theforms, with laughter and “yuk” faces when the “tea time”came. At the same time, “try mind” and “just do it” ap-peared strongly..

In the middle of the day interviews began. One stu-dent came with “I killed a man”; another with “I pouredgasoline on myself and burned my body”; yet another, “Iwas in the army… now how can I make a change in thisworld?” The teaching words are the same everywhere inthe world: great love and compassion, forgiveness and tol-erance, keep a wide mind clear like space. The same wordseverywhere, but here, because of the suffering, theysounded heavier and seemed to have a more poignantmeaning. During the dharma talk one woman with tears

Grazyna Perl, JDPSN

My first teaching trip to Israel

Hell in the middle of paradise


[21

rolling on her cheeks asked, “Is it possible that IT will endsome day?” In that question great doubt and great hopebecame entangled; everything comes and goes, ends… onehas to be patient and strong to let go and return to a lov-ing and compassionate mind, to forgive and be tolerant.

The day the Yong Maeng Jong Jin ended, there was apeace demonstration in Tel Aviv in memory of the assassi-nated prime minister, Itzhak Rabin. From Yuval’s homewe could hear the music and speeches. Heavily armed se-curity and army people walked by us as we sat on a benchhaving a glass of wine. The security people gave us shortbut warm smiles, cautious eyes looking for any danger.

The next day I left for home. At the airport, a securityguard questioned me for more than an hour. The guard’seyes were accusing, the words raw and sharp… unforgiv-ing. I did a strong “they are only doing their job” mantrato stay calm and not let any personal anger appear. Thequestions: “Where do you come from?” “Why are youhere?” “What is Zen?” “What is meditation?” “What doyou care?” Again a new dimension to the old dharma wordsappeared. In just three hours I was in the Vienna airport,and a universe away from that world.

Sitting in the Paris Zen Center’s garden a few days later,my heart felt shrunken. I thought, “Oh, how lucky weare,” but at the same time I would like to stay with theIsraeli sangha. A few days later I received a letter from oneof the participants saying, “Thank you for your teachingand for coming to Israel, when most people just want torun away from it.”

Israel

Blue sky andBlue mountainWarm sun and

Warm facesRed flowers and

Red bloodPeople bow in repentance and

People bow in angerWhere is the mistake?

Katz!Outside, in the green trees

Birds are singingPeace song


22]

Our bowing practice is deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition.

By bowing three times, we embrace the Three Treasures (Buddha,

Dharma and Sangha), and endeavor to do three kinds of practice(Sila—Precepts, Samadhi—Meditation, and Prajna—Wisdom).

This practice extinguishes the three poisons of desire, anger and

ignorance. If we bow fifty-three times, one is bowing respectfullyto the fifty-three Buddhas. Bowing one thousand times is to bow

with reverence to each of the one thousand Buddhas of the present

kalpa. By bowing three thousand times, we show our admirationfor each of the one thousand Buddhas in the three great kalpas of

the past, the present and the future.

Ordinary people traditionally suffer from 108 differentdelusions of mind. These defilements of desire torment us when

the six roots and the six desires meet each other. When the six

roots (senses) and the six dusts (perceptions) unite with each other.When the six roots—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and

consciousness—are integrated with the six desires—color, sound,

smell, taste and touch realm—then the three kinds of like anddislike mind appear. In other words, when the six roots and the

six desires connect, the divided mind of like/dislike, same/different,

suffering/happy, and life/death appears. So the number ofdelusions is thirty-six (6 x 6 = 36). Since these delusions occur in

the past, the present, and the future, the total number of delusions

is 108 (36 x 3 = 108).The 108 delusions of humanity expand to eighty-four

thousand—a number signifying vastness. Our innumerable

delusions, appearing and disappearing moment to moment,control the mind to such an extent that most people cannot avoid

suffering. However, while bowing 108 times, our basic attachment

to delusion is cut, our minds become one thing, which leadsnaturally to the infinite capability and vitality of mind. Bowing

108 times is very effective in allowing one to return to Buddha-

nature, the primary point before all suffering.

108 Bows


[23

Brief ReviewsJudy Roitman JDPSN

Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiogra-phy of Zen Master Hakuin, byHakuin Ekaku Roshi, translated byNorman Waddell, Shambhala, 2001

Hakuin was one of the great figuresnot only of Japanese Zen but Japa-nese culture, who in his long liferevitalized Rinzai Zen in the 18th

century, wrote extensively in manygenres, and was also a great painter

and calligrapher. This book is a memoir of his early years,until the age of thirty or so, interspersed with a numberof stories about earlier Zen Masters and contemporaryghosts and demons. The extensive translator’s introduc-tion (Waddell is an important translator of Japanese Zentexts) gives us a complete biography of Hakuin in the con-text of his times. As a young boy, Hakuin became terri-fied hearing a Pure Land teacher preach about Buddhisthells, and became a monk in a desperate attempt to avoidthem. Wild Ivy describes a life of hard practice, travel fromteacher to teacher, incredible energy and persistence inpractice, and attempts to reconcile often contradictoryresponsibilities to one or another mentor. Interspersed withthe autobiography, in fact opening it, are attacks onBankei’s notion of the Unborn, a popular Zen teaching ofthe time which Hakuin reviled. (It’s interesting to notethat Waddell has also translated a book of Bankei’s writ-ings.) Sometime shortly after his first kensho, or awaken-ing, experience, Hakuin came down with a serious illness—the Rinzai tradition has institutionalized this by calling it“Zen sickness” and expects many of its practitioners tocome down with it—which has been diagnosed by mod-ern commentators in various ways, most commonly assevere depression coupled with an anxiety disorder (butdiseases such as tuberculosis are also sometimes men-tioned). Hakuin was still able to function with this sick-ness, but he was desperate for a cure, and finally foundone in a meditative practice which can be summarized asimagining butter melting down from the top of the head.Don’t laugh—after three years of intensively following thispractice, Hakuin was cured and his Zen practice deep-ened, and there is much to be learned from hearing a greatteacher talk about his breakdown and subsequent returnto health. The last chapter of his book is a description ofhis illness and cure, and in an appendix Waddell includesHakuin’s extensive description of this meditation practice,written at the request of his students.

Live in a Better Way: Reflections onTruth, Love, and Happiness, by HisHoliness the Dalai Lama, PenguinCompass, 1999

A compilation of lectures givenin New Delhi, this is a fairly stan-dard book of the Dalai Lama’s teach-ings, given a slightly exotic cast be-cause it is directed at audiences inthe homeland of the Buddha (so, forexample, there is a question about a

Ganesh statue that supposedly drank milk). Everyonewants to be happy, nobody wants to be unhappy, here’show to be happy and how to avoid unhappiness. Culti-vate good thoughts, emotions and actions, avoid badthoughts, emotions and actions. Bad stuff comes fromignorance, good stuff comes from… at this point the talksdiverge markedly from each other. Some of them stay onthe level of clear and at some points perhaps oversimpli-fied (but the Dalai Lama knows his audience) expositionof basic Buddhist teaching, but others go into fairly tech-nical discussions of subtle points of doctrine found in thesutras and in debates between various schools of Buddhism(e.g., “The prominent followers of the Madhyamika re-fute the presentation of the mind-only school saying thatif you do not accept the existence of the external phe-nomena, you cannot accept the existence of the mind aswell.” p. 166-167). The question and answer sessions af-ter the talks exhibit a wide range of styles of responses,from discursive lecturing to honest references to his ownlife to flashes of humor, e.g. (p. 86) “Q: If we are all hu-man beings, what is the difference between you and me?A: I think there is a great difference. You are you and I amme!” A good example of expedient means in action.

Why chase it?It’s closer than you think…much closer!

by Tan Gong Sunim and Chris Morgan


24]

Book ReviewAlgernon D’Ammassa

First You Shave Your Head, by GeriLarkin, Celestial Arts, 2002

Regarding the teacher-studentrelationship, Zen Master SeungSahn has told us more than once,“First you must kill your parents;then, you must kill Buddha; andthen, you must kill me.”

Author Geri Larkin is a dharmateacher under a different Korean

teacher, Samu Sunim. Her first two collections of dharmatalks (Stumbing Towards Enlightenment and Tap Dancingin Zen) are inspirational. These two books are completelyheartfelt, utterly acessible, and entertaining for a generalreader. She is a single mom in Michigan who is also aserious student of Zen, such that when her teacher tellsher she must shave her head for a pilgrimage in Korea, shedoes it—but she prepares herself by consulting fashionmagazines. No pretentious, other-worldly Zen here.

This travelogue, in which Larkin and an Americandharma sister visit Korean temples under the severe gazeof their teacher, is filled with humor, but it is not AllyMcBeal-goes-to-Asia: it is a plunge into the unknown. Koreais still very much another world from our own, and all ofthe confidence Larkin had accumulated on her home turf

is quickly stripped away by the weather, the rough terrain,the austerities of the trip, and the harsh, oftenincomprehensible behavior of her teacher.

She likens the process to beating a shirt clean. She isleft not even with humility—everything is taken away andreduced to “don’t-know” mind:

The longer and more arduous the trip, the moreyour heart has a chance to open up until finally, in amoment of utter exhaustion, you realize that’s all ofyou that is left— the heart part. Your mind hasdisappeared—the one that judges and gets mad andworries and thinks and fantasizes. Instead you are inlove with your life, whatever it is. And the whole worldis your family with the earth playing the lead role asuniversal nest, one you are thrilled to share with alltakers. I almost forgot. You’ll also lose ten poundswithout even trying.

But holding on to that isn’t it, either. The mostwonderful thing this book offers (aside from some choiceanecdotes, such as when an elderly monk demonstratesthe full versatility of a soccer ball as a home exercisemachine) is an open-hearted account of a sincere studentfinding real faith in her own practice, getting it by losingit completely, and then giving every ounce of the meritaway.

EASTERN EUROPE DHARMA FUNDIn 1998, the Kwan Um School of Zen established a special fund to help support practice at our Zen Centers in Eastern Europe.The advisory committee for this fund is Zen Master Dae Kwang, Chong An Sunim JDPS, Andrzej Stec JDPSN, and TadeuszSztykowski. The goals of the fund include capital improvements for needy Zen Centers; paying for teacher travel to Zen Centerswhich otherwise could not afford to have teachers visit; and helping students participate in retreats. Over the last five years almost$10,000 has been disbursed, including assistance for the current construction of new retreat centers in Prague and Gdansk.Contributions are tax-deductible for Americans when sent to the Kwan Um School of Zen, 99 Pound Road, Cumberland RI02864. Thank you for your generous support!

Students of the Gdansk Zen Centerat the site of its future retreat center


[25

2004 KWAN UM SCHOOL OF ZENWest Coast Sangha Weekend

Friday, May 21—Sunday, May 23, 2004

Vashon Island, Washington

Hosted by Dharma Sound Zen Center

Please join teachers and students from Zen centers

throughout North America as we gather together

for three days of practice, workshops, ceremonies,

together action, and fun.

The weekend will be held at a beautiful retreat center

on an island in Puget Sound. Wildlife frequents the

site, including bald eagles and hummingbirds.

There will be time for hiking through old-growth

forest and along miles of sandy beach.

YONG MAENG JONG JINwith Darek Gorzewski, JDPSN

Wednesday, May 19—Friday, May 21, 2004

A traditional YMJJ retreat will set the stage

for the 2004 West Coast Sangha Weekend.

Join in practice with Zen students from throughout

North America for three days of focused effort.

Details on the weekend and retreat

will become available in 2004.

For registration please contact:

GENJO-JI 6367 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404(707) 545-8105 [email protected] www.smzc.net

SSOONNOOMMAA MMOOUUNNTTAAIINN ZZEENN CCEENNTTEERR

KK II DD OO RR EE TT RR EE AA TTNN oo vv ee mm bb ee rr 77 -- 99 ,, 22 00 00 33

Kido means "the Way of Energy". Two days of chanting,bowing, playing percussion instruments (moktaks,clackers and drums) while walking in procession. Anintensive practice of chanting samadhi where all soundsbecome one universal sound. Lead by LLiinncc RRhhooddeess,,JJii DDoo PPooeepp SSaa NNiimm (successor of Korean ZenMaster Seung Sahn) and JJaakkuusshhoo KKwwoonngg--rroosshhii inthe lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. Linc has been aDharma brother of Kwong-roshi since they met atProvidence Zen Center in 1985. Begins Fri. at 7:30p.m.and ends Sun. at 4p.m. $50 per day

PPlleeaassee bbrriinngg aa ppeerrccuussssiioonn iinnssttrruummeenntt!!


26]

Mu Sang SaMu Sang SaMu Sang SaMu Sang SaMu Sang SaInternational Zen Center

Great Buddha Hall Construction

Since our opening in 2000, monks, nuns and laypeople frommany countries have come to Mu Sang Sa to attain their truenature in the mountains of Kye Ryong Sahn. We have built alarge Zen Dharma hall, a dormitory and are now constructing atraditional wooden Buddha Hall. This will fulfill Zen MasterSeung Sahn’s vision of establishing a Zen temple in Korea tocarry on his Dharma legacy. Just $10 will sponsor a copper rooftile and more will help complete the construction. Any donationwill be gratefully accepted. You may send your donations to theKwan Um School of Zen for our fund or directly to the bankaccount below. Thank you.

Abbot: Mu Shim Sunim JDPSDirector: Myong An Sunim

BANK: Citizens Bank, Providence, Rhode Island USAACCOUNT NAME : Kwan Um School of Zen Kye Ryong Sahn FundACCOUNT NO.: 1118-916-9ABA NO.: 0115-0012-0SWIFT code: CTZIUS33

Donations are U.S. tax deductible Contact us: e-mail: [email protected] website: www.musangsa.org

November 8 2003 to February 5 2004Winter Kyol Che Mu Sang Sa

Practice meditation at Mu Sang Sa, a Zen temple uniquelylocated at the head of the dragon on Kye Ryong Mountain.

Nestled in a pine forest, it looks down on a valley of rice fields.

Everyone practices together and benefits from the strongmountain energy, fresh air and clear spring water.

Guiding Teacher: Mu Shim Sunim JDPS

Chung-nam, Non-san Shi, Du-ma Myon, Hyang-han Ri, San 51-9, Korea 320-917

Tel: +82-42-841-6084 Fax: +82-42-841-1202

www.musangsa.org e-mail: [email protected]


[27

StudioYoga

The

BodyMind TherapiesHealing and Enlivening Mind, Body and Spirit

MEDITATIVEPSYCHOTHERAPY

Drop-in Yoga • MeditationBeginners • Intermediate • Advanced

31 Years Teaching Experience

Licensed Psychologist

Call for Brochure: 401 941 0032website: bodymindri.com

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web Site: www.cambridgezen.com

Daily Morning & Evening Practice

Long Term Residential Training

Interviews with Zen Masters

Public Talks • Monthly Retreats

Free Introduction to Zen

CAMBRIDGE ZEN CENTER199 Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

(617) 576-3229

ZEN MASTER: Seung Sahn Dae Soen SaABBOT: Myo Ji Sunim, JDPS

NEW YORK CHO GYE SAH45-18 48th Avenue, Woodside, NY 11377

Tel. (718) 706-1749Fax. (718) 392-3011 E-Mail: [email protected]


28]

MOUNTAIN SPIRITCENTER

Daily Zen Practice & RetreatsWinter Kyol Che Jan. 25–Feb. 15, 2004

8400 Juniper Way – Tehachapi, CA 93561(661) 822-7776

[email protected]

Richard ShrobeC.S.W., A.C.S.W.

PsychotherapistSpecializing in the Gestalt Approach

201 East 34th St., 5th Floor, NY, NY 10016(212) 685-7099

Fifty forested acres,

daily meditation practice,

kong-an interviews, dharma talks,

monthly retreats,

summer & winter intensive retreats.

Zen Master Dae Kwang • Guiding TeacherChong Hae Sunim JDPS • Abbot

Winter Kyol Che is a time to investigate your life closely. This retreat

will be held at the picturesque Diamond Hill Zen Monastery. You can

sit Winter Kyol Che for up to three months, in segments of one week.

Entry is January 3 at 3:00 pm, or any subsequent Saturday at 8:00

am. Exits are any Saturday at 8:00 am.

Retreat fee $385 per week or $3000 full retreat. Kwan Um School of

Zen full members and full-time college students $245 per week or

$2000 full retreat. KUSZ dharma teachers and dharma teachers in

training $175 per week or $1500 full retreat. Half price for Eastern

Europeans who are members in good standing of their home Zen

centers (does not apply to Eastern Europeans living in United States.)

10% discount for retreat fees paid in full by December 6, 2003.December 6, 2003.December 6, 2003.December 6, 2003.December 6, 2003.

99 Pound Road Cumberland RI 02864 • 401/658-1464 • [email protected] • www.kwanumzen.org/pzc

with Zen Master Dae Bongand Chong Hae Sunim JDPS

january 3–april 2, 2004

Winter Kyol Cheat Providence Zen Center

Residential Training

For a six-issue subscription, I enclose:❏ $24 in U.S. ❏ $30 in Canada ❏ $36 international

Payment in U.S. dollars by: credit card; personal checks drawn ona U.S. bank; postal money orders; or bank checks payable on anyU.S. bank.

credit card ___________________________ exp. _____

Signature ______________________________________

Name_________________________________________

Address _______________________________________

City __________________________________________

State __________ Zip ___________________________

Country _______________________________________

e-mail ________________________________________

Subscriptions to PRIMARY POINT and the school newsletterare included in membership of affiliated North American Zencenters (see membership form on page 29).

SubscriptionsPrimary Point

99 Pound Road, Cumberland, RI 02864-2726 U.S.A


[29

The Kwan Um School of Zen99 Pound Road, Cumberland, Rhode Island 02864-2726 USA • 401/658-1476 • Fax 401/658-1188 • [email protected]

www.kwanumzen.org • See the list of web sites of our Zen Centers at http://www.kwanumzen.org/kusz-links.html

North AmericaCambridge Zen CenterZen Master Bon HaengZen Master Bon Yeon

199 Auburn StreetCambridge MA 02139Office 617/576-3229Fax 617/864-9025Residence 617/[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

Chogye International Zen Centerof New YorkZen Master Wu Kwang

400 East 14th Street, Apt. 2ENew York NY 10009212/[email protected]

Cold Mountain Zen CenterZen Master Dae Kwang

c/o Cary de WitPO Box 82109Fairbanks AK 99708907/[email protected]

Cypress Tree Zen GroupDennis Duermeier JDPSN

P.O. Box 428Panacea FL [email protected]

Delaware Valley Zen CenterZen Master Dae Kwang

P.O. Box 7837Newark, DE 19714-7837302/[email protected]

Dharma Kai Zen CenterZen Master Ji Bong

c/o Aikido Ai Dojo6725 Comstock AvenueWhittier CA 90601562/[email protected]

Dharma Sound Zen CenterZen Master Ji Bong

P.O. Box 31003Seattle WA 98103-1003206/[email protected]

Dharma Zen CenterZen Master Ji BongPaul Park JDPSN

1025 South Cloverdale AvenueLos Angeles CA 90019323/934-0330Fax 323/[email protected]

Empty Gate Zen CenterZen Master Bon Soeng

2200 Parker StreetBerkeley CA 94704510/[email protected]

Gateless Gate Zen CenterDennis Duermeier JDPSN

c/o KC Walpole20 West University, Suite 301GGainesville FL 32601352/[email protected]

Great Brightness Zen CenterThom Pastor JDPSN

5115 Industrial Road 902Las Vegas NV 89118702/[email protected]

Great Lake Zen CenterZen Master Dae Kwang

c/o Peter Neuwald828 East Locust StreetMilwaukee WI 53212414/[email protected]

Indianapolis Zen CenterZen Master Hae Kwang

5335 North TacomaIndianapolis IN 46220317/[email protected]

Isthmus Zen CommunityWilliam Brown JDPSN

c/o David Peters402 West Lakeview AvenueMadison WI 53716-2114608/[email protected]

Kansas Zen CenterJudy Roitman JDPSN

1423 New York StreetLawrence KS 66044785/[email protected]

BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE KWAN UM SCHOOL OF ZEN IN NORTH AMERICA(In other parts of the world, contact your local affiliated Zen center or regional head temple.)

Your membership in a participating center or group makes you part of the Kwan Um School of Zen sangha. Your dues help support teaching activities on local,national, and international levels. Full membership benefits include discount rates at all retreats and workshops (after three months of membership), andsubscriptions to Primary Point and the quarterly school newsletter. Associate membership does not include program discounts. Send this coupon and your firstdues payment to the Kwan Um School of Zen at the address at the top of the page. Please circle the dues for the membership category and payment plan you prefer.

Annually Quarterly MonthlyFULL ........................... Individual ................................... $300 ........................ $75 ........................ $25

Family .......................................... 420 ........................ 105 .......................... 35Student ......................................... 144 .......................... 36 .......................... 12

ASSOCIATE ........................................................................ 96 .......................... 24 ............................ 8

Specify the North American center or group that you wish to be a member of: ____________________________________________________________

Name(s) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Street ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________________________________ State ______________ Zip ___________________________

Phone Day ______________________________ Evening __________________________________ E-mail __________________________________

MC/VISA/AMEX/DISCOVER _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Expiration __________________ Signature ___________________________________________ ❏ Please charge my dues monthly to this credit card

Little Rock Zen GroupZen Master Hae Kwang

c/o Lucy Sauer4201 KenyonLittle Rock AR 72205-2010501/[email protected]

Morning Star Zen CenterZen Master Hae Kwang

1599 Halsell RoadFayetteville AR 72701-3902501/[email protected]

Mountain Spirit Center8400 Juniper WayTehachapi, CA 93561661/[email protected]

Myung Wol Zen CenterMerrie Fraser JDPSN

P.O. Box 11084Scottsdale AZ 85271-1084480/[email protected]

New Haven Zen Center193 Mansfield StreetNew Haven CT 06511Office 203/787-0912Residence 203/[email protected]

New York Chogye Sah TempleMyo Ji Sunim JDPS

45-18 48th AvenueWoodside NY 11377718/706-1749Fax 718/[email protected]


30]

Northern Light Zen CenterChong Hae Sunim JDPS

c/o Colin M. Fay21 Thompson StreetBrunswick, ME 04011207/[email protected]

Ocean Eyes Zen CenterZen Master Ji Bong

3941 North Long BeachBoulevardLong Beach, CA 90807562/[email protected]

Open Circle Zen CommunityZen Master Soeng Hyang

c/o Richard Baer8445 West Elmhurst AvenueLittleton, CO 80128-5209303/[email protected]

Penobscot Area Zen CenterChong Hae Sunim JDPS

c/o Marilynn Petit46 Hemlock Point RoadOrono ME 04473207/[email protected]

Peoria Zen CenterWilliam Brown JDPSN

c/o Cate Pfeifer214 East High Point RoadPeoria IL 61614309/[email protected]

Zen Group of PittsburghChong Hae Sunim JDPS

P.O. Box 19272Pittsburgh PA 15213412/[email protected]

North America continued AsiaGak Su Mountain TempleZen Master Dae Kwan

17A Luk WuLantau Island, Hong Kong,China(852) 2-891-9315Fax (852) [email protected]

Hoeh Beng Zen CenterZen Master Dae Bong

18-A Jalan Raja Bot50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia(60) 3-292-9839Fax (60) [email protected]

Kye Ryong Sahn Int’l Zen Center/Mu Sang SaMu Shim Sunim JDPS

Chung Nam, Non-San ShiDu-Ma MyonHyang-Han Ri, San 51-9320-910 R.O., KoreaOffice (82) 42-841-6084Zen building (82) 42-841-1293Fax (82) [email protected]

Nam San International Zen CenterMu Shim Sunim JDPS

Namsan-Dong 972-6 3FGeumjung-gu, Busan 609-815,KoreaTelephone (82-51) 518-7913

Seoul International Zen CenterHead Temple, AsiaHyon Gak Sunim JDPS

Hwa Gye Sah487, Suyu 1 DongKang Buk Gu, 142-071 Seoul,Korea82-2-900-4326Fax [email protected]

Singapore Zen CenterKwan Yin Chan LinGye Mun Sunim JDPS

No. 195 Lavender Street#01-01 Eminent PlazaSingapore 338758(65) 392-4256Fax (65) [email protected]

Su Bong Zen MonasteryZen Master Dae Kwan

32 Leighton Road5/F Starlight HseCauseway Bay, Hong Kong,China(852) 2-891-9315Fax (852) [email protected]

South AmericaModesto Grupo de MeditadoresHeila Downey JDPSN

c/o Tania LohmannRua Sao Luiz 340/20490620-170 Porto Alegre RSBrazil(55) [email protected]

AustraliaQueensland Zen CenterKwang Myong Sunim JDPS

15 Flaggy Creek RoadMount CrosbyQLD 4306, Australia(61) (7) [email protected]

AfricaThe Dharma CentreHead Temple, AfricaHeila Downey JDPSN

c/o Heila and Rodney DowneyP.O. Box 795Robertson, Cape 6705, SouthAfrica(27) 23-626-3515Fax (27) [email protected]

Poplar Grove Zen CentreHeila Downey JDPSN

c/o Margie and Antony OslerP.O. Box 232Colesberg 5980, South Africa(27) 51-753-1356

Rondebosch Dharma CentreHeila Downey JDPSN

c/o Marlize Meyer6 Lulworth MansionsSaint Andrews RoadRondeboschCape Town 7700, South Africa(27) 21-686-3698 centre(27) 21-790-5546 [email protected]

Middle EastTel Aviv Zen CenterHead Temple, IsraelZen Master Wu Bong

64 Alenby StreetTel Aviv 65812, Israel(3) [email protected]

Tivon Zen CenterZen Master Wu Bong

47 Alonim StreetTivon, IsraelTelephone 04 [email protected]

Prison GroupsAdult Correctional Institution,

Rhode Island

Bay State Correctional Center,Norfolk, Massachusetts

Coleman Federal CorrectionsComplex, Florida

Florida State Prison

Gainesville Correctional Institute,Florida

Indiana State Prison, MichiganCity

Lowell Correctional Institute,Florida

Malmesbury Prison, South Africa

Providence Zen Center/Diamond Hill Zen MonasteryZen Master Dae Kwang

99 Pound RoadCumberland RI 02864Office 401/658-1464Fax 401/658-1188Residence 401/[email protected]

Southern New Hampshire ZenGroupZen Master Bon Haeng

P.O. Box 1236Keene NH 03431-1236603/[email protected]

Still Water Zen CenterZen Master Hae Kwang

3214 Parkwood AvenueRichmond VA 23221804/[email protected]

Ten Directions Zen CommunityZen Master Soeng Hyang

1042 Dartmouth DriveWheaton IL 60187630/[email protected]

Wausau Zen GroupZen Master Hae Kwang

5107 River Bend RoadSchofield WI 54476715/[email protected]

Marion Correctional Institute,Florida

Massachusetts Treatment Center,Bridgewater

MCI Norfolk, Massachusetts

Nellis Federal Prison Camp,Nevada

Putnamville State CorrectionalFacility, Indiana

Tucker Maximum Security Prison,Arkansas

Union Correctional Institute,Florida

Westville Correctional Center,Indiana


[31

EuropeBarcelona Zen CenterZen Master Wu Bong

Bori Centro Zenc/ Freginal 7Torredembarra (Tarragona)Spain93 219 19 [email protected]

Berlin Zen CenterHead Temple, Western EuropeDr. Roland Wöhrle-Chon JDPSN

Gottschedstrasse 413357 Berlin, Germany(49) 30-46-60-50-90Fax (49) [email protected]

Bratislava Zen CenterHead Temple, SlovakiaZen Master Wu Bong

Ludovíta Fullu st 58/2284105 Bratislava, Slovakia+421 2 [email protected]

Brno Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

c/o Karel SkoupyTabor 32A602 00 Brno, Czech Republic+420 541 247 [email protected]

Brussels Zen GroupHead Temple, BelgiumGrazyna Perl JDPSN

c/o Koen VermeulenRue Belliardstr. 2031040 Brussels, Belgium(32) 2-270-0125Fax (32) [email protected]

Budapest Zen CenterHead Temple, HungaryChong An Sunim JDPS

Köris u.14. fszt. 2.1089 Budapest, Hungary+36.1/2.108.172+36.30/[email protected]

Cologne Zen GroupDr. Roland Wöhrle-Chon JDPSN

c/o Hanna NowickaSchleidenerstr. 850 937 Koeln, Germany(49) [email protected]

Debrecen Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

Kerékgyártó ErikaCsapó u. 73. II /64029 Debrecen, Hungary+36.52/[email protected]

Decin Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

Fungerova 12Decin, Czech Republic+ 420 608 076 667

Gdansk Zen CenterMyong Oh Sunim JDPS

Sowinskiego 1/280143 Gdansk, [email protected]/302 28 09fax 0 609 926 [email protected]

Hamburg Zen GroupDr. Roland Wöhrle-Chon JDPSN

c/o Hwa Rang Tae-Kwon-DoSchoolGrandmaster Shin, Boo-YoungHamburger Str. 176,22083 Hamburg, Germany+49-(0) [email protected]

Hajdúböszörmény Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

Boross AttilaBenedek János u. 8Hajdúböszörmény 4220,Hungary+36.52/227.858

Katowice Zen GroupAleksandra Porter JDPSN

c/o Marek Barcikowskiul. Piotrowicka 45/440-723 Katowice-Ligota, Poland(48) [email protected]

Kaunas Zen GroupMyong Oh Sunim JDPS

Box 609LT3021 Kaunas, Lithuania370-98-22063Fax 370-7-268-572

Kladno Zen CenterChong An Sunim JDPS

Na Vyhaslém 3260272 00 Kladno, Czech Republic

Kosice Zen CenterZen Master Wu Bong

Letna 4304001 KosiceSlovak Republictel/fax: +421 55 [email protected]

Kraków Zen CenterAleksandra Porter JDPSN

ul. Bandurskiego 19/431-515 Kraków, Poland(48) [email protected]

Lódz Zen GroupAleksandra Porter JDPSN

ul. Ogrodowa 26 m. 2991-065 Lódz, Poland(48) [email protected]

Munich Zen GroupDr. Roland Wöhrle-Chon JDPSN

c/o Alan GlasperBelgradstr. 5980796 Munich, Germany(49) [email protected]

Olomouc Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

c/o Tomas UtekalPolska 64772 00 OlomoucCzech Republic+420 608 327 [email protected]

Oslo Zen GroupZen Master Wu Bong

c/o Mariusz SuchaneckiFagerborggt. 48 B/4070360 Oslo, Norway+47 [email protected]

Palma Zen CenterHead Temple, SpainZen Master Wu Bong

c/o San Felio 607012 Palma de Mallorca, Spain(34) [email protected]

Paris Zen CenterHead Temple, EuropeGrazyna Perl JDPSN

35 Rue de Lyon75012 Paris, France(33) 1-44-87-08-13Fax (33) [email protected]

Pila Zen GroupMyong Oh Sunim JDPS

c/o Bogumila Malinowskaul. O.M. Kolbe 59 m. 164-920 Pila, Poland(067) 215-48-64

Prague Zen CenterHead Temple, Czech RepublicChong An Sunim JDPS

Kwan Um Zen, Pod Trati 1Prague 5, 150 00, CzechRepublic+420 244 460 852+420 257 324 [email protected]

Riga Zen CenterHead Temple, LatviaZen Master Wu Bong

c/o Oleg OnopchenkoIlikstes 101/53Riga, LV-10, Latvia(371) 7-325-348(371) [email protected]

Rzeszów Zen GroupAleksandra Porter JDPSN

c/o Jerzy BabiarzZwieczyca, ul. 30-lecia 3935-083 Rzeszów, Poland

Saint Petersburg Zen CenterHead Temple, RussiaZen Master Wu Bong

Tretiakovu VladimiruPavlovsk, Molchanova str. 21/33189623 Saint Petersburg, Russia(7) [email protected]

Szczecin Zen GroupMyong Oh Sunim JDPS

c/o Dariusz Pozusinskiul. Wyzwolenia 34/2771-500 Szczecin, Poland(48) [email protected]

Szeged SanghaChong An Sunim JDPS

Farkas SándorAlsókikötó sor 7/d, IV/106723 Szeged, Hungary+36.30/[email protected]

Tatabánya Zen CenterChong An Sunim JDPS

Torma AndrásSzent Borbála tér 2.2800 Tatabánya, Hungary+36/[email protected]

Ulianousk Zen CenterZen Master Wu Bong

c/o Pavel and Larisa Michinul. Lokomotivnaya 112,1432 012 Ulianousk, Russia

Velikiy NovgorodMeditation CenterZen Master Wu Bong

30 Borovskaya ul.BronnitsaVelikiy Novgorod, 173110Russia7(8162)[email protected]

Vienna Zen GroupHead Temple, AustriaZen Master Wu Bong

Wiesingerstr. 6/61010 Wien, Austria(43) 1-9676781Fax (43) [email protected]

Vilnius Zen CenterHead Temple, LithuaniaAndrzej Piotrowski JDPS

Rulikiskiu 19Vilnius, Lithuania+370 2 [email protected]

Vilseck Zen GroupZen Master Wu Bong

c/o Kevin and Judy FolsomJosef-Hayden Strasse 1Vilseck 92249, [email protected]

Warsaw Zen CenterHead Temple, Eastern EuropeAleksandra Porter JDPSN

04-962 Warsaw Falenicaul. Malowiejska 24, Poland(48) 22-612-7223Personal [email protected]

Zagreb Zen CenterHead Temple, CroatiaZen Master Wu Bong

c/o Emil Stimac-VincensRapska ul. 24a10000 Zagreb, Croatia(385) (1) [email protected]

Zlin Zen GroupChong An Sunim JDPS

Ales JanochDlouha 4215, Zlin, CzechRepublic+ 420 737 784 [email protected]

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit #102Manville, RI

The Kwan Um School of Zen99 Pound Road, Cumberland, Rhode Island 02864-2726 USA

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Primary Point Fall 2003 - Kwan Um School of Zen

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