The main notoriety I have achieved in this life is based upon my writing. I have written six books (Pan-African Chronology [three volumes],The Muslim Diaspora [two volumes], andThe Creation [one volume]) which achieved some notoriety, and I have begun several blogs (Biographies, The 100 Greatest Muslims, The Muslim Compendium, Who's Who in Islam, Jewish Biographies, Buddhist Biographies, Biographies of Notable Women, andWords of Wisdom) which have garnered additional notoriety. However, whatever notoriety I have achieved for my writing has always seemed a bit undeserved. Truth be told, I write not for notoriety, but for God. In the coming days, I hope to be able to elaborate on why I do this. However, suffice it to say that every book I write and every blog I begin, begins with a tribute to God. I can only pray that God will continue to find what I write to be an expression of God's will.
While I cannot profess to be a Christian, I must admit that the song that most resonates with me today is a Christian song. Written by the great Andrae Crouch, the song is the Christian standard "My Tribute" and the rather profound lyrics for the song go as follows:
How can I say thanks For all the things that You've done for me Things so undeserved Yet You gave to prove Your love to me And the voices of a million angels Could not express my gratitude All that I am and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee
To God be the glory To God be the glory To God be the glory For the things He has done For with His blood He has saved me And with His power He has raised me To God be the glory For the things He has done
Just let me live my life And let it be pleasing Lord to Thee And should I gain any praise Let it go to Calvary His blood He has saved me With His power He has raised me
To God be the glory For the things He has done
To God be the glory For the things He has done For the victory is won For the things He has done To God be the glory For the things He has done
I first heard this song in 1978 at the Berkeley Community Theater. It was a Christian themed date with my soon to be wife. And this is the way that I remember how Andrae sang this song:
In later years, this became such a staple in the Christian world that an all-star assemblage of Christian singers could be assembled to sing this song for a charitable cause
However, whichever version is listened to the message is always the same -- To God be the Glory. And it has been the hallmark of my life and my writing career.
"A long time ago, Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." This is where philosophy begins. But if you are not thinking, what? This is where Zen practice begins." (06/05/2025)
"Zen has a very simple and direct teaching style. Zen means that if you want to understand what a watermelon is, you take a watermelon, get a knife, and cut the watermelon. Then you put a slice in your mouth -- boom!Your experience!" (08/19/2025)
Seungsahn Haengwon (Korean: 숭산행원대선사; Hanja: 崇山行願大禪師; RR: Sungsan Haengwon Daeseonsa, August 1, 1927 – November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early Korean Zen masters to settle in the United States, he opened many temples and practice groups across the globe. He was known for his charismatic style and direct presentation of Zen, which was well tailored for the Western audience.
Known by students for his many correspondences with them through letters, his utilization of dharma combat and expressions such as "only don't know" or "only go straight" in teachings, he was conferred the honorific title of Dae Jong Sa in June 2004 by the Jogye Order for a lifetime of achievements. Considered the highest honor to have bestowed upon one in the order, the title translates "Great Lineage Master" and was bestowed for his establishment of the World Wide Kwan Um School of Zen. He died in November that year at Hwagaesa in Seoul, South Korea, at age 77.
Early life and education
Seung Sahn was born in 1927 as Duk-In Lee (modern romanisation: Yi Deog'in) in Sunchon (순천), South Pyongan Province of occupied Korea (now North Korea) to Presbyterian parents. In 1944, he joined an underground resistance movement in response to the ongoing occupation of Korea by the Empire of Japan. He was captured by Japanese police shortly after, avoided a death sentence, and spent time in prison. Upon his release, he studied Western philosophy at Dongguk University. One day, a monk friend of his lent him a copy of the Diamond Sutra. While reading the text, he became inspired to ordain as a monk and left school, receiving the prātimokṣa precepts in 1948.[1][2] Seung Sahn then performed a one-hundred day solitary retreat in the mountains of Korea, living on a diet of pine needles and rain water. It is believed he attained enlightenment on this retreat.
While seeking out a teacher who could confirm his enlightenment, he found Kobong, who told him to keep a not-knowing mind. In the fall of 1948, Seung Sahn learned dharma combat while sitting a one-hundred day sesshin at Sudeoksa—where he was known to stir up mischief, nearly being expelled from the monastery. After the sesshin was concluded, he received dharma transmission (inka) from two masters, Keumbong and Keum'oh. He then went to see Kobong, who confirmed Seungsahn's enlightenment on January 25, 1949, and gave him dharma transmission as well. Seung Sahn is the only person Kobong gave Dharma transmission to. He spent the next three years in observed silence.[3][4][5]
Drafted into the Republic of Korea Army in 1953, he served as an army chaplain and then as a captain for almost five years, taking over for Kobong as abbot of Hwagaesa in Seoul, South Korea in 1957. In the next decade, he would go on to found Buddhist temples in Hong Kong and Japan. While in Japan, he was acquainted with the kōan (Korean gong'an) tradition of the Rinzai school of Zen, likely[clarification needed] undergoing kōan study with a Rinzai master.[1][3][6]
Coming to the United States in 1972, he settled in Providence, Rhode Island and worked at a laundromat as a repairman, spending much of his off time improving upon his English. Shortly after arriving, he found his first students at nearby Brown University, most of whom came by way of a recommendation from a professor there. Among these first students was Jacob Perl (Wubong), who helped to found the Providence Zen Center with the others.[3][4]
In 1974, Seung Sahn began founding more Zen centers in the United States—his school still yet to be established—beginning with Dharma Zen Center in Los Angeles—a place where laypeople and the ordained could practice and live together. That following year, he went on to found the Chogye International Zen Center of New York City, and then, in 1977, Empty Gate Zen Center. Meanwhile, in 1979, the Providence Zen Center moved from its location in Providence to its current space in Cumberland, Rhode Island.[7]
The Kwan Um School of Zen was founded in 1983 and, unlike more traditional practice in Korea, Seungsahn allowed laypersons in the lineage to wear the robes of full monastics, upsetting some in the Jogye Order by allowing lay Dharma teachers to wear long robes.[8][9]
Celibacy was not required and the rituals of the school are unique.[clarification needed] Although the Kwan Um School does utilize traditional Seon and Zen rituals, elements of their practice also closely resemble rituals found often in Pure Land Buddhism, Chan Buddhism, and the Huayan school. In 1986, along with a former student and Dharma heir Dae Gak, Seungsahn founded a retreat center and temple in Clay City, Kentucky called Furnace Mountain—the temple name being Kwan Se Um San Ji Sah (or, Perceive World Sound High Ground Temple). The center functions independently of the Kwan Um organization today.[3][10]
Seungsahn's Hermitage - The place of his one-hundred day solitary retreat
Over his tenure as Guiding Teacher, Seungsahn appointed many Dharma heirs. He created the title Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (JDPSN) for those not ready for full dharma transmission but capable of teaching at a higher capacity. In 1977, Seungsahn was hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmia and it was then discovered that he had advanced diabetes. He had been in and out of hospitals for heart complications for years preceding his death, and in 1987 began spending much less time at his residence in the Providence Zen Center.[8]
Starting in 1990, and under invitation from Mikhail Gorbachev, Seungsahn began making trips to the Soviet Union to teach. His student, Myong Gong Sunim, later opened a practice center in the country (Novgorod Center of Zen Meditation).[11]
Teaching style
Seungsahn implemented the use of simple phraseology to convey his messages, delivered with charisma, which helped make the teachings easier to consume for Western followers. Some of his more frequently employed phrases included "only go straight" or "only don't know".[12] He even went so far as to call his teachings "Don't Know Zen", which was reminiscent of the style of Bodhidharma.[13] Seungsahn used correspondences between him and his students as teaching opportunities. Back-and-forth letters allowed for a kind of dharma combat through the mail and made him more available to the school's students in his absence. This was another example of his skillful implementation of unorthodox teaching methods, adapting to the norms of Western culture and thus making himself more accessible to those he taught. He was a supporter of what he often termed "together action"—encouraging students to make the lineage's centers their home and practice together.[9][14]
Seungsahn also developed his own kōan study program for students of the Kwan Um School, known today as the "Twelve Gates". These twelve kōans are a mixture of ancient cases and cases which he developed. Before receiving inka to teach (in Kwan Um, inka is not synonymous with Dharma transmission), students must complete the Twelve Gates, though often they will complete hundreds more. One of the more well known cases of the Twelve Gates is "Dropping Ashes on the Buddha", the Sixth Gate, which is also the title of one of his books. In the book The Compass of Zen, this kong-an is transcribed as follows: "Somebody comes to the Zen center smoking a cigarette. He blows smoke and drops ashes on the Buddha." Seungsahn then poses the question, "If you are standing there at that time, what can you do?"[1][15] Not included in this version of the kōan is the Kwan Um School of Zen's following side note on the case, "[H]ere is an important factor in this case that has apparently never been explicitly included in its print versions. Zen Master Seung Sahn has always told his students that the man with the cigarette is also very strong and that he will hit you if he doesn't approve of your response to his actions."[16]
When Seungsahn first began teaching in the United States, there was an underemphasis in his message on the significance of zazen. Under advice from some students, however, he soon came to incorporate zazen into the curriculum more frequently. More than a few of his earliest students had practiced Zen previously under the Sōtō priest Shunryū Suzuki, laying out a convincing argument about how zazen and Zen were seen as inseparable in the Western psyche.[9]
Later life
Throughout the 1990s, Seung Sahn made trips to Israel, which led to the 1999 opening of the Tel Aviv Zen Center. His remaining years were spent in particularly poor health. He had a pacemaker put in his chest in 2000, followed by renal failure in 2002.[17] In June 2004, he was given the honorific title Dae Jong Sa "Great Lineage Master" by the Jogye Order in commemoration of his accomplishments, the highest title the order can grant.
Death
Seung Sahn died on November 30, 2004, at the age of 77 in Seoul, South Korea at Hwagaesa, the first temple where he served as abbot.[3][18][19][20]
Affairs with students
In 1988, Seung Sahn admitted to having sexual relationships with several students.[1][21][22] Because Seung Sahn was understood to be a celibate monk, the revelation of the affairs caused some members to leave the school.[23] Seung Sahn did two repentance ceremonies[citation needed] and the Kwan Um School of Zen has since developed an ethics policy that has guidelines for teacher/student relationships and consequences for unethical behavior.[24]
Seung Sahn's lineage
The following list documents Seung-Sahn Haeng-Won's transmission lineage, starting with the Buddha and the First Patriarch.[25][26][27]
Sahn, Seung; David O'Neal (1982). Only Don't Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung. Primary Point Press. ISBN0-942795-03-2. OCLC28576745.
These charts expand from the basic list in "Zen Master Seung Sahn's Lineage" in: Seung-Sahn, 1997, The Compass of Zen, edited by Hyon Gak Sunim, Boston: Shambhala Dragon Editions, Shambhala Publications, pages 393–394. ISBN1-57062-329-5
The same basic list is online in English at Kwan Um School of Zen and in Hangŭl (down to the 76th generation) at 조사 (불교).
For comparison, see Jinje Seon Sa's lineage chart which is nearly identical with Seung-Sahn's list in The Compass of Zen down to the 75th master, after which the two lineages split up (to 만공월면 / Man-Gong Weol-Myeon in Seung-Sahn's and to 혜월혜명 / Hyewol Hyemyeong in Jinje's). There are five variations between the Seung-Sahn and Jinje lists: the renderings of the 40th, 43rd, 56th, 65th Masters' names, and the Latin spelling of the 58th's.
Elementary school (graduated/dropped out) Middle school (graduated/dropped out) High school (graduated/dropped out) University College (Department 1, Department 2)[doublemajor]/ Enrolled, Bachelor’s degree, Dropped out)
It is a great figure in the world of Korean Buddhism , and he has innovated that the Zen Buddhism culture spread abroad was Japanese Buddhism . But in later years, sexual scandals with the goddess were raised, leaving a blot in his reputation.[2][3][4][5]
August 1, 1927, South Pyongan Province Born in Suncheon-gun (currently Suncheon-si). His genus name is Lee Deok-in (李德仁), and Seongsan is not a legal name but a nickname in Korean culture. There were many cases where disciples and believers thought it was impolite to call the great monk by his Dharma name, so they often called him by his pen name, so this has become established. In particular, there are many cases where ordinary believers read Monk Hyeon-gak 's book 'Manhaeng - From Harvard to Hwagyesa' and know Seongsan as 'Seongsan Haengwon'.
He studied at Suncheon Public School and Pyongan Public School in Pyongyang . While participating in the independence movement in 1944[6] He was caught by the Japanese military police and played jail. In 1946 , he entered the Department of Philosophy of Dongguk University and was in Magogsa in 1947 to explore the absolute truth . The first name I received from the teacher, Gobong, was Haengwon.
He continued his fierce practice at Jung Hye -sa, and he visited the knowledge of his time, such as Chunseong Monk, Ilop Monk, Geumbong Monk, Jeongang Monk, and Hye -am Monk. Meanwhile, Mitasa encountered Gobong Monk again. When he greeted Gobong Ship , he said, “I was on the way to get rid of the invoice because I killed the three -teemin in the evening last evening.” The monk said, “How can I believe that? So Sung -san responded without hesitation, and Gobong monk, who watched it , gave a lawyer with the words, "Why do you can't play your butterfly?" Then, "Flash the Deoksung Mountain greatly. Your law will spread greatly to the world." Since then, it has been silent for three years by the name of Gobong. When this happened, on January 29, 1949, he was twenty -three years old. It was also approved by Chunseong, Geumbong, and Geumo .
He enlisted in the Republic of Korea Army as a military conscription in 1951 and was discharged as an officer in 1957. In 1958, he became a member of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and the head of Hwagye Temple. In 1960, he established the Korean Buddhist Newspaper and took office as its first president .
Afterwards, he went on an overseas missionary mission to spread Korean Zen Buddhism, and in 1966 he went to Japan.Shinjuku Hong Court, Hong Kong in 1969 , United States in 1972 , Canada in 1974 Toronto , England , 1980 London , SpainPalma , Brazil , 1983 Sao Paulo , France , 1985 He opened international Zen centers around the world, including the Paris Zen Center, and introduced Korean Buddhism to the world. As a result of such efforts, as of 2004, about 120 Zen centers were opened in 32 countries around the world, and many foreign monks, including Hyeon-gak , Cheong-an , and Muryang, were produced. #
In 1985, he won the World Peace Prize at the World Peace Culture Conference. Since 1999, he has worked as a trilogy of Hwagyesa and entered on November 30, 2004. #
Descartes said, I think therefore I am. Therefore this I come from thinking. Where does thinking come from? Who are you? When you were born, where did you come from? When you die, where do you go?
Descartes said, "I think, therefore I exist". Therefore, this 'I' also comes from thought. Where do thoughts come from? who are you? Where were you born and where did you come from? When you die, where do you go?
In 1972, at the age of 46, he left for the United Statespenniless . He sure did not speak Englishat all . At the time, anti-war public opinion on the Vietnam War and the trend of hippie culture were in full swing in the United States.[7] He found a place to live in Providence, Rhode Island, and worked as a mechanic in a laundry for two years to earn a living. Then he accidentally met Professor Leo Pruden, who teaches the history of Eastern civilization at Brown University .
Since then, starting with Providence Zen Center, LA Dharma Zen Center in 1974, Chogye International Zen Center in New York in 1975, and Empty Gate Zen Center in California in 1977 were established in turn, establishing 25 Zen centers in 25 states in the United States.
Because I started life from the bottom without a special back line (...), I knew the American way.[8] Because of this, he showed an open and rational attitude that was unconventional from our point of view while doing missionary work in the United States. Because of this, Americans were able to accept the teachings of Sung Sahn without any objection.
In particular, Sungsan is famous for his amazing Konglish (...), but his English grammar is also a mess, and he uses short sentences made with only a few words to convey the Buddhist law in a simple and clear way , surprising the listeners. It can be said that he personally showed what the non-characters are called in Seon Buddhism .
Translated into English, the above quotation reads as follows: "Descartes said, 'I think, therefore I am.' That is, this person comes from thought. Then where does the thought come from? Who are you (before thinking)? Where did you come from when you were born? , where do you go when you die?" Hyeon-gak said in <Manhaeng - From Harvard to Hwagyesa> that he was first impressed by Sung Sahn in the above sermon. However, not all Americans were deeply impressed, so Theodore Jun Park, who actually attended the Zen center in Sung Sahn, wrote only about Songdam as a monk in his training book, <Cham Seon>.
Only go straight Only don't know
These two phrases are representative of the teachings of Sung Sahn. These two phrases are well known as 'only do' and 'only don't know'.
Sung Sahn traveled around the world for propagation , and it is also famous for spreading teachings through letters . When students have questions during meditation, they write letters and ask questions, and when Sung Sahn gives instructions through replies, the disciples who read them immerse themselves in meditation again, and when they have questions again... Repeat the following.
In addition, a koan (公案) traditionally used in Zen Buddhism was issued to check the disciple's enlightenment, which is called a 'koan interview'. Among the kongans used at this time, 'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha' is well known to the public. In the list of books below, "If I Shake the Ashes to the Buddha" is the title taken from this kong-an.
The contents of the public notice are as follows. 'One day a person came into the temple smoking a cigarette . He blew smoke at the Buddha statue and brushed off the ashes . What would I do if you were by my side at this time?'[9][10]
I onlyteach the framework ofBuddhism . Each culturewill slowly nourish their own Buddhism.
In fact, even if you talk to Seong San in Korean rather than Konglish , you can still feel the same sense of speechlessness that you felt with Hyeon Gak . Now that he's dead, I can't hear more, but... In the very last scene of the one-hour documentary made by MBC before his death, a short clip of an interview between the reporting producer and Seong San is inserted, and here, too, he hits viewers in the back with his unique teachings. .
At the end of his Dharma Talk, a blonde woman next to him asked the monk. As far as I remember, the woman was a student in her 30s who was in a doctoral class at Harvard University. "What is love? (What is love? / What is ' love '?)"[11] Seung Sahn kicked off and asked the girl the following. "I ask you, what is love? / I ask you, what is love?" So the student lost his answer and sat still. That is what Seung Sahn was talking about. "This is love. / This is love." Still, the girl sat there blankly, unable to find anything to say. While she stared at the student, Songshan continued her words as follows. "You ask me, I ask you. This is love. / You asked me, I asked you. This is what love is." Can there really be more language than this in humans? Perhaps even Jesus , the master of the philosophy of love, lacked the wit to say so much in these short words in this short period of time. I intuited the extraordinaryness of Sung Sahn. His Dalmatok was already beyond language. And it was already transcending borders. It was only human. - Dool Kim Yong-ok , "I see Buddhism like this" #[12]
Judy Loitman argues that the situation of the odds was different from other teachers. "He was not a predator. In Korean culture, it is not a good thing for a female student to have sex with a monk, but he is tolerated. It is tolerated, but it stays in the shade.They also had a relationship. But it was a relationship. He was not a predator. It was not a destructive relationship that was not a harmful relationship.[13]
According to author Timothy Miller, Song Sahn had romantic relationships with several female students in the American Guanyin Zen sect. In 1988, as the controversy arose, she admitted to having sexual relations with several female students, during which she held two penance ceremonies. Timothy Miller writes, "The Guanyin Zen sect had to struggle with relationship issues with Sung Sahn. Sung Sahn is known to his followers to lead a celibate life, but as controversy over his relationship with a female disciple became known, some members left." Regarding this period, Barbara Rose (Master of the Quan Yin Zen sect) said, "Everybody is just learning to live in community, and you too." Sonia Alexander (former director of the Quan Yin Sailor), who disclosed the truth, left her temple, feeling that she was only being used to build the temple. At that time, when asked what the relationship was, Sung Sahn said, "It's neither love nor lust." It didn't hurt me." Nonetheless, Sonia Alexander still feels her admiration for Sung Sahn, and she credits her time with the Order as helping her. In 2011, she rejoined the Gwaneum Seon sect as a Dharma instructor. And now, her Facebook page is still bookmarked by Song Sahn.[14]
The Jogye -jong monk Seol is originally a neutral position (or only unknown) that does not deny anything, and therefore, and therefore criticism of Sungsan is based on misunderstandings of enlightenment and desire. Or, like the extravagance of many Zen Buddhism investigations, it can be seen.
But this is conflicting with the traditional Buddhist perspective. When the precepts collapse, there is no achievement. Even if you are a saint of the first stage, you will never break the precepts. 'Do not do it. Do not want to do it. ' Some shipping companies , such as the original monk , may mean that they could not escape from the experience of the early Buddhism. In the early stages of practice, the watching mind seems to have an experience that seems to exist regardless of everything. Hindu monkers who emphasize the fire, such as the Zen Buddhism and the Survey , often make this claim, and some researchers believe that the tradition of such a pre -Buddhism and Indian advita is only two or three of the 16th stages of wisdom or wisdom . It is not a destruction of the high -end scriptures in the logical point of view, the moral rate based on the logical perspective after the monk ,and the extinction of the high -end system based on the four -way system .
His books include 《Moon Reflected in Heaven》(1992), 《Anecdotes of the World 1,2,3》(2001), 《Compass of Line》[15] , 《Only You Don't Know》, 《If You Shake Ashes from Buddha》[16] , 《The whole world is a single flower》(2001), etc.
I have a relationship with Stanislav Grof, and I participated in a workshop called 'Buddhism and Western Psychology' held in Esalen, California as one of the representatives of Zen Buddhism along with several gurus .[17]
In 2016 , American monk Hyeon- gak, known as a disciple of Seung Sahn , made headlines when he criticized the Jogye Order. See that document for details.
[doublemajor][2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seungsahn[3] Boucher, Sandy (1993). Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism. Beacon Press. pp. 225–235. ISBN 0-8070-7305-9.[4] Although it should be deprived immediately when it is based on the precepts of the Jogyejong , it was quietly passed by his achievements that contributed to the globalization of Korean Buddhism.[5] Some see this behavior of Sungsan as part of a martial arts .[6] He made ' shortwave radio ' , which was banned by Japan, and helped to listen to external circumstances. Later, he moved to the United States and worked as a laundry machine repairman, so he was familiar with machines.[7] However, in this part, the testimonies of Kim Yong-ok and Hyeon-gak have conflicting parts.[8] He said that what he felt after coming to the United States was that "Americans are too obsessed with freedom ," and that he was surprised that there were fewer Buddhist priests than expected because of this.[9] From the point of view that everything is just empty, there is no difference between a Buddha statue and an ashtray . However, if it is not stopped for this reason, a Buddha statue is a Buddha statue and an ashtray is just an ashtray. Only don't know.[10] There is a similar scene in the movie Dharma, Let's Play . While the gangsters were staying at the temple and were cleaning the Buddha statue, they dropped the statue and its ear fell out. When the monks who were against them went to the head monk and argued with them, the head monk said, "If the Buddha statue's ear fell off, wouldn't it be okay to put it back on? That's all . "Are you saying something big has happened to me? Why are you making such a fuss because one of the Buddha's ears is missing? Then, have you been worshiping a piece of wood as Buddha? You have Buddha in your hearts." He shouted.[11] Many people who studied English in the past learned 'What' closer to 'Hwat' rather than 'Wat'. It is an influence of the Japanese colonial period, but it can only be expressed that way in Japanese katakana . 'Love' is also sometimes pronounced closer to 'lavu' than 'love'.[12] As a bonus, Kim Yong-ok, as was his own tendency, saw that Seongsan was an object of strange awe even to foreigners at the time, and thought, "This person must be a great teacher or a vicious pseudo-religionist ," and was listening to the lecture with his eyes wide open, trying to refute it. , It is said that he was completely entranced by these words. As it is a complete GG declaration from a person known as a controversialist, it is full of somewhat rude expressions toward Seong San, such as his English being messy, but it is clearly an anecdote that conveys Seong San's extraordinaryness.[13]https://rbmcdaniel.ca/2024/01/04/seung-sahn/[14] For more details , see # English Wikipedia -Criticisms item (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/seungsahn).[15] It was divided into volumes 1 and 2, but was released in 2010 as a new volume.[16] It was reissued under the title of 'Buddha Asks Buddha'[17] 'Beyond hallucinations and coincidences'. 311p. psychic world.
Here are some of the most memorable and insightful quotes from Zen Master Seung Sahn, reflecting his teachings on mindfulness, non-attachment, and direct experience:
On clear mind:“Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don’t worry about clear mind: it is always there.”A-Z Quotes
On letting go of desire:“If you want something then you lose everything. If you don’t want anything then you already have everything.”A-Z Quotes
On Zen practice:“Just keep clear mind, go straight ahead, try, try, try for ten thousand years.”A-Z Quotes
On non-attachment:“Throw away all thoughts of attainment, you will then come to see the real purpose of your quest.”A-Z Quotes
On truth and action:“The Truth is realized in an instant; the Act is practiced step by step.”A-Z Quotes
On “don’t-know mind”:“Throw away all opinions, all likes and dislikes, and only keep the mind that doesn't know. This is very important. Don’t-know mind is the mind that cuts off all thinking.”the Ripening
On everyday living:“When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think.”A-Z Quotes+1
On life and death:“If you keep one mind, there is no life, no death. Then if you die tomorrow, no problem; if you die in five minutes, no problem.”BrainyQuote
On helping others:“Throwing away Zen mind is correct Zen mind. Only keep the question, ‘What is the best way of helping other people?’”A-Z Quotes
On perception:“Perceiving your own voice means perceiving your true self or nature. When you and the sound become one, you don't hear the sound; you are the sound.”BrainyQuote
These quotes capture Seung Sahn’s emphasis on simplicity, presence, and cutting through conceptual thinking to meet reality directly. They are often used in Zen practice to inspire mindfulness and let go of attachment.
