Zen Teaching

Someone asked: “What is your teaching?”

Zen Master Seung Sahn replied: “Right now who is asking the question?”

How do you find the master who is speaking right now?

If you sincerely ask, “Who am I?”, all thinking will come to an end, and “don’t know” will appear. This “don’t know” mind already helps cut off all your thinking. Your “before thinking” mind is your “don’t know” mind. With this mind, you can perceive all dharmas as they truly are and will not be tainted by bad or good. If you use it in your daily life, you will be free from all hindrances.

Zen practice is attaining our true substance. When we attain our substance, then everything we see is truth. But understanding truth alone is not enough. How does truth correctly function to make correct life? In every moment, attain what is our correct situation, correct relationship, and correct function.

Correct life means to do our job, be responsible for what we do, be sincere to everyone, and be clear about our relationships. Respect our parents and elders, and be kind to others. This is how we get along with all beings in Zen.

The Dharma is within this world, apart from this world there is no awakening. Zen is everyday life, and everyday life is Zen.