Delusion begins with not seeing our True Nature

(I found this talk about the Korean Economy given by Zen Master Seung Sahn to a group of Korean's back in 2004 1998. I find some of his analogies made here about Korea could also apply to the global financial crisis that we find ourselves in today.) 

Mu Sang Sunim, who is the Senior Monk "Kunsunim" in the Kwan Um School of Zen, sent me a recent update and I felt it important to clarify the mistakes that I mad with this post, so I add his comments as a prelude to the Dharma Talk and thank Mu Sang Sunim for his corrections to this very interesting talk.

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Subject: DSSN's talk, The Korean Economy and Zen

Thanks for putting up this wonderful talk. I just talked with Dae Jin Sunim (Mu Shim Sunim). He was present at the talk and remembers it well and says it was given in 1998 or 1999, in the middle of the Asian Crisis. That crisis was known in Korea as the "IMF", because Koreans were very resentful of the demands the International Monetary Fund made that Koreans restructure their economy. They saw that as a kind of economic imperialism. (One can contrast the Korean example with that of Malaysia, which refused to accept IMF money and did very well pulling themselves out of the crisis on their own.)

Just to mention, the talk couldn't have been given in 2004 because DSSN was very sick that year and I don't believe he gave any public talks—he died on November 30, 2004 after a long illness. Also reading the talk supports the conclusion that it was given in the middle of the economic crisis. That said, it was wonderful to read it and I thank you very much, so I put it up on my Facebook page.

People are worried about economy these days and no one seems to know how this happened. The reason for this worry may be found in many ways and one of them could be the wrong plan from the beginning. Without understanding our current situation we may have set an unattainable goal that we are not able to meet. As life got better with abundant materials, we became greedy trying to imitate advanced countries. The goal of a ten thousand dollar annual income for all became the cause of greed and its fire delivered the ashes from over-consumption and pleasure. Now it is time to reflect back on it.

People believed the goal of this annual income was within their reality. Without reflecting on our reality, racing towards better countries have deceived sense of people. The government as well as the people are responsible for the mistake and greed.

Without putting our feet on the ground, we have been lost in the empty sky and are now faced with this International Monetary Fund crisis, it urges us to come back to our senses. We are shocked and it hurts. Now it is most important to see our reality and bring back our true identity.

There is a teaching that says, “Those who fall on the ground are supported by the ground;” also there is saying that a bad situation is a good situation. When you are alert, you are able to recover and turn the hardship into opportunity. Everything depends on how you determine yourself. If you keep complaining saying, “Oh, this is hard, it kills me.” Things will not get any better.

When I was young, I was thrown into jail by the Occupying Japanese police. This happened while I was attending school in Pyungyang. The crime I was accused of was hitting some of the Japanese students and having some trouble with them. Being put into jail for this was too much for me at the time. At school I was very interested in the Scientific Method and I possessed few tools for experiments at that time. This caused Japanese to conclude that I might have some involvement with the Korean Independence movement. I learned a few things while I was confined in jail.

It was a simple truth that you must be alert when involved in a bad situation. I realized an old saying, “Even if you are trapped before tiger, your alertness can save you.” The Japanese Police had already convinced themselves that I was part of Korean Independence movement. Their questioning would start and I had to be very alert while answering each question. My life depended on it. While I was in jail, I was advised by rice and meat smugglers to think carefully before answering any question. It made me realize the trouble I was in and how important my answer was. At a very early age I learned about importance of having clear consciousness my experiences in jail as well as from the Japanese police officers.

If our economy is in trouble, there must be the cause. We need to see the cause. When we practice meditation we use the term ‘kwan’ meaning mindfulness. In the same way, people need to be mindful on the cause for the trouble. If we find it by the head, it is not kwan. It is merely analysis and assumption. Kwan refers to observing the state of mind. This will enable us to see the cause of suffering of today.

And we need to set up a new goal. We need to get rid of bluffs that we’ve been striving for Globalization. Nowadays people often use expression called ‘getting rid of the bubbles’. Our economy was floating on bubbles and now stepping down to reality. In the same way, we need to get rid of bubbles in our mind. So what if we don’t succeed in Globalization.

I believe that Koreanization is more urgent than Globalization. When we look back, our economy, culture, and ideology have lost national identity due to rapid change in society and politics. We have long forgotten about our identity but much absorbed into western culture. Without establishing proper Koreanization, this effort of Globalization turned chaos.
What is behind Koreanization? It is setting proper root on culture, and mind. And from it, we may graft politics, economy, and culture.

I have been working for the last thirty years in Globalization of Buddhadharma building about one hundred sixty Buddhist centers and Meditation centers over thirty countries. If I had been a businessman it would have been beneficial to economy of Korea; however, I am just a simple practitioner. My actions have not been beneficial to the economy but to the minds of those I have taught. I would like to talk about the reason how this was possible. After I first established Hong Bŏp Wŏn in Tokyo, Japan, I have spread the teachings to Taiwan, America and Europe, why was it possible to teach the meditation practices that have their roots in Korea? What do you think the reason was?

I believe the reason was that it reflected Korean Sŏn. If I taught them philosophy of Socrates or Spinoza, it would have been impossible. If it were about scientific technology or economic politics, still it would have been impossible. I was only a practitioner who spread the method of meditation from Korea.

Korean Sŏn was new to Westerners and it gave then a fresh approach to understanding their minds, and this made it possible for it to spread over the years. It still continues and some Westerners have come to Korea to practice. Koreans are outstanding people. We, too, have wonderful culture and scientific mind as good as Western Europeans. But we have been discouraged by past Japanese occupation, Korean War, and foreign military policy. Ever before overcoming spiritual loss, we once again lost our soul on abundance of capitalism.

Whatever you do, there is always goal. The same is for the nation. What is our goal? You shouldn’t say that the goal is to overcome the International Monetary Fund crisis. That is not enough. I mentioned earlier that those who have fallen on ground are supported by the ground; therefore, we must rebuild the Korean way of business, a true Korean way of economic structure based on this International Monetary Fund crisis. We need to build a Korean Economy that has strong and deep foundation. Of course there is urgency on particular matters such as stabilizing the foreign exchange rates and must cut down on expenses, but the ultimate goal must go much further. I don’t mean just making high goals, but the goal should start with preparation.

In practicing Buddhism, it is also important to understand our direction and decide what path to take. What is the purpose of practicing Buddhism? It is enlightenment, as you all know. What kind of enlightenment? It is to realize the ‘I’, which had come into this world and living.

A long time ago, a monk asked. “What is the teaching of Buddha?” “It is the cry of a rooster in spring.” What does this mean? He asked what the teaching of Buddha is and the answer was the cry of rooster in spring. How can this be the teaching of Buddha? Yet if you know the cry of rooster in spring, you will understand your life. Buddhism is the religion of enlightenment. You have heard the cry of rooster. But who has heard the cry? It is I who has heard the cry. How did I hear the cry? I heard it through ears. But can the dead person hear the cry because he has ears? That’s not possible. Then with what was I able to hear it? Who is that ‘I’ who heard it?

Now, if we continue to ask question further and further, we are able to attain enlightenment. It is not strange to answer that teaching of Buddha is the cry of rooster in spring. Within cry of a rooster, there is great teaching of Buddhadharma. Let’s examine another story.

A monk asked Chán Master Dòngshān. “What is Buddha?” “It’s three pounds of flax.” Later another monk asked Chán Master Yúnmén, “What is Buddha?” “It is a dry shit stick.” What a strange answer. How can he compare Buddha’s teaching to a shit stick? We do not know. Not knowing is both for questioner and one who answers. It is not the answer that we don’t know. It is the mind, which they exchange conversation is unknowable. What is then mind? That is Buddha. There is famous verse from Chán Master Mazu.

A monk asked Chán Master Mazu, “what is Buddha?” The master replied, “mind is Buddha.” “What is mind?” “Buddha is mind.” The mind and Buddha are not different. The mind is indeed Buddha and the Buddha is indeed mind. But the conversation does not end there. Later the practitioner asked once again, “what is Buddha?” This time Mazu answered, “It is neither mind nor Buddha.” What is that which is neither mind nor Buddha? This means when you are free from both Buddha and mind, you attain enlightenment.

You may have hard time understanding because it seems like a play on words. I am explaining this Huàtóu to you who are practicing meditation so that you can understand Buddhism in the easiest way. There is always same question. “What is the teaching of Buddha?” But the answer is so colorful. If you are attached or hindered by words, you may never understand the principle. The Japanese call the sun ‘Daiyo’ and Americans call it ‘Sun’. The name may be different but it does not change the essence of the Sun. No matter what we call it, the Sun rises and falls by natural process.

What we need to see is the essence of all things including ‘I’. The delusion begins where names are given to many things without seeing the nature of those things. If enlightenment is the goal in Buddhism, we must know what to realize and what to do after the enlightenment. Believing or practicing blindly will only accumulate more delusion.

The very cause of our economic problems is a result of not seeing the reality of ourselves. Blindly following the path of other advanced countries, we are now facing the dead end. As old teachers have continuously asked a question “What is the teaching of Buddha,” we also need to ask this question continuously. If you do this you will eventually see the essence of Buddhism. Without the effort to seek Truth, there is no correct economy, correct politics, correct ethics, or correct culture. Like the question asking what is the teaching of Buddha, we need to ask, “What is politics?” “What is economy?” We need to ask and ask. It will bring the answer to the problem.

Dharma Talks of Korean Sŏn Masters
Copyright © 2005 Hyundae Bulkyo Media Center

Inka Means Strong Center and Wisdom

Zen Master Seung Sahn

In the Chinese Chán tradition there are two types of Transmission: Secret Transmission and Public Transmission. Dàjiāng Huìnéng is an example of a Chán Master who received Secret Transmission. The reason that he received secret transmission is that at the time there were seven hundred monks were in residence at Chán Master Daman Hongren’s temple. Shénxiù, who was the head monk, had been practicing for many years with Master Hongren and the monks in residence had assumed that he would receive Transmission; furthermore, Huìnéng was not a monk at the time, he was a layman who was just a kitchen helper. Master Hongren realized that if Huìnéng received Transmission his life might be endangered. Because of this he received Secret Transmission at night and then immediately left the Temple. For eighteen years Huìnéng hid in the mountains of Southern China. Eventually he shaved his head and ordained as a monk and this was the first case of Secret Transmission.

Măzŭ Dàoyī received Transmission from Báizhàng in a large public ceremony. This is a famous Chán story. Prior to Transmission is what is known in Chán as “Inka,” which means a candidates Zen practice is clear and that it is possible for this candidate to teach Chán to others. Inka also implies that many Dharma Heirs may be possible; whereas, Transmission means there is only one Zen Master in a particular lineage.

Inka and Transmission are different. The Kwan Um School’s title of Jido Pŏpsa Nim is synonymous to the Japanese title Sensei. In Korea, it is commonly known as Ch’ŏng Yong Sǔn—your practice is clear, and teaching student’s is authorized. The title has practically disappeared in Korea, although it still exists in China. In Korea a more common and current title would be Ip Sung Sunim.—Head Monk.

In the Kwan Um School we have the Jido Pŏpsa Nim ceremony, which is very important. Why? In this ceremony the Sangha comes together and believe in the Candidate. How strong is this candidate’s center? If the Zen Master grants Inka or Transmission only privately to this person, the Sangha’s students won’t understand. So in the Kwan Um School the Jido Pŏpsa Nim ceremony means that the public can come to the Zen Center and ask any kind of question, and the candidate must answer. Whether it is a good answer or a bad answer really doesn't matter; it is most important how much the candidate believes in himself or herself one hundred percent.

Even my teacher, Zen Master Kōbong, had young Zen Masters coming to him, challenging him. There is a famous story of the time a young Zen Master asked him: what did Yántóu whisper in Zen Master Deshān’s ear? This is from a famous kōan. Deshān Zen Master had not heard the drum (announcing meals) yet he carried his bowls into the dining room. That was a big mistake, so this is a mistake kōan; consequently, what did Yántóu say to Deshān?

My teacher was stuck. He was thinking a little bit, like everyone does (even Zen Masters), and he was stuck. This young Zen Master wanted to become a great Zen Master, so he came and hit my teacher. When my teacher could not answer, the young Zen Master said, “Aigo! Aigo!” This means, “You are already dead!” Then he went away.

After one week the young Zen Master understood. So he came back and said, “Thank you for your teaching.” This kind of thing happens. So whether the answer is good or bad doesn't matter. The Jido Pŏpsa Nim test means how much does he or she believe in himself or herself one hundred percent? This is very important. Zen means believe in your true self one hundred percent.

When asked “what is Buddha,” Măzŭ Zen Master would respond, “Mind is Buddha, Buddha is mind.” This statement is not correct and these are bad words. Later he was known to say, “No mind, no Buddha.” These are also bad words. If a student gave that answer today, they would get hit! But that's okay.

So in this ceremony I check two things: center and wisdom. Checking the center means, does the answer appear quickly or not? If there's no hesitation, that's a strong center. If the answer is sometimes a little slow in coming, that means the center is not clear. Next, we check whether the answer is correct or not. Correct answer means wisdom.

In the future many others will become Jido Pŏpsa Nim’s. Wisdom and a strong center are necessary. A strong center means their mind is not moving, their mind is clear like space. They can reflect action. Whether or not their answer is correct, they can reflect action. That is center.

In the future, everyone must practice strongly and many Jido Pŏpsa Nim’s will appear, to help the Kwan Um School and help all beings. Thank you.

Origins of Zen in Korea

Zen Master Dàoxìn

Four generations after Bodhidharma introduced Chán Buddhism to China, Buddhism and the Zen sect began to flourish in Korea having been originally brought to Korea from China by Sŏn Master Pŏmnang, a Korean disciple of the Fourth Chinese Ancestor of Chán, Dàoxìn. Zen Master Dàoxìn was thirty–first in direct apostolic succession from Śākyamuni Buddha. Although Pŏmnang Sŏnsa was give formal transmission of the Dharma from Chán Master Dàoxìn, his lineage eventually died out in Korea.

The hallmark of the Korean Sŏn Buddhist practice since the time of Sŏn Master Chinul’s dharma heir Sŏn Master Chingak (1178-1234) is the huàtóu or kōan meditation, a uniquely Chán Buddhist technique of “cultivating great doubt” through the contemplation on the exchanges of the ancient teachers of the Chán transmission lineage. Chinul is the one who first introduced this technique to Korea although he himself had no direct contact with Chinese masters but discovered this methodology indirectly through reading Dàhuì’s (1089-1163) Records, which consequently brought him to his third and final awakening experience. This culminating experience was so transformative, according to his memoirs, that he concluded that this special technique was the most effective short-cut to enlightenment. Even though Chinul considered the huàtóu method superior he provided his students of lesser capacity with two other approaches. The first method was the simultaneous cultivation of meditation and wisdom through the study of the Platform Sūtra, and the other was a sudden approach utilizing the student’s great faith through the study of Lidong-xuan’s interpretation of the Avatamsaka (Huáyán) Sūtra.

This uniquely Korean Línjì style of practice followed the modified practices of Dàhuì as well as other aspects handed down through the Mǎzǔ sects in China. However; Chinul’s triple approach to Buddhahood or true humanity consequently accepted, among the three approaches, the huàtóu meditation to be the exclusive, effective method for cutting off conceptual adherence to words and form and thereby attaining final enlightenment.

A partial adaptation of Línjì Chán is further witnessed by Chinul’s utilization of Línjì’s various instructional devices. Chinul uses specifically the so-called three mysteries of dark gates and four processes of liberation from subjectivity and objectivity as instructional devices as presented in the Línjì-lù. The former was utilized by Chinul to analyze and classify entire Buddhist scriptures including Chán writings, while the latter was included in the ten kinds of No-mind practice.

The Life of the Buddha

In case you have never seen this BBC Documentary on the life of the Buddha you may find it interesting. The video is almost fifty minutes long and is in HD so it is an enjoyable documentary to watch in this medium. Just thought I'd share it with all in case you missed it.

Religion in Korea

As of 2005, approximately 46.5% of the South Korean population express no religious preference. Of the rest, most are Buddhist or Christian; according to the 2005 census, 29.2% of the population at that time was Christian (18.3% professed to being Protestants and 10.9% Catholics), and 22.8% were Buddhist. Approximately half of Koreans (49.3% in 1995) are unaffiliated with any religion, and the remaining portion (1.3% in 1995 affiliated with other religions, including Islam and various new religious movements such as Jeungism, Daesunism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism.

Memories

Several years ago my good friend Thom Pastor, JDPSN and I were traveling up and down the New England Coast and sitting at various Zen centers, (we both live on the West Coast.) While we were staying at the Providence Zen Center, Thom and I were exploring the beautiful Pagoda of Peace. The new offices were being built and connect the Pagoda to the Main Building so we were returning to living area where we were staying. We happened to meet Zen Master Daekwang who asked us where we were going, to which Thom replied, "We are practicing to become Monks." Daekwang said, "Really, how can you do that?" Thom said, "We are going to take a nap." Daekwang was speechless.

12 Link Chain of Dependent Origination

Dependent Origination
(Dvādaśa-Astanga) 因緣

arising from conditions
從緣生
vanishing from conditions
從緣滅
If I exist, everything exists
我有便有
If I ceases to exist, everything also ceases to exist
我無便無


十二緣起 The Twelve Links In The Chain Of Existence
(Skt: Dvādaśanga Pratītyasamutpāda; the Twelve Nidānas)

While he was examining that which gives rise to human disquietude, Śākyamuni Buddha discovered a continuum of twelve phases of conditioning in a regular order. These twelve links in the chain of conditioned existence are.

無明 Ignorance (skt: avidyā) ignorance, or delusion, which is sometimes represented as a blind person. rebirth consciousness: ignorance, as inherited passion from the beginning-less past

行 Mental Formations (skt: samskāra) action-intentions, activity, conception and dispositions, which is sometimes represented as a potter at work, or man gathering fruit. rebirth consciousness: karma, good and evil, of past lives

識 Consciousness (skt: vijñāna) consciousness, which is sometimes represented as a restless monkey. rebirth consciousness: conception as a form of perception

名色 Name and Form (skt: nāmarūpa) name and form, which is sometimes represented as a boat. rebirth consciousness: nāmarūpa, or body and mind evolving (in the womb)

六處 The Six Sense Realms (skt: sadāyatana) the six sense organs; eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, which is sometimes represented as a house. rebirth consciousness: the six organs on the verge of birth


觸 Touch (skt: sparśa) contact or touch, which is sometimes represented as a man and woman sitting together. rebirth consciousness: childhood whose intelligence is limited to sparśa, contact or touch
受 Sensation (skt: vedanā) sensation and feeling, which is sometimes represented as a man pierced by an arrow. rebirth consciousness: receptivity or budding intelligence and discrimination from 6 or 7 years

愛 Desire (skt: trsnā) thirst, desire and craving, which is sometimes represented as a man drinking wine. Sensual pleasures and the desire for existence or non-existence as in the case of the atman and the anatman. rebirth consciousness: thirst, desire, or love, age of puberty

取 Clinging (skt: upādāna) laying hold of, grasping, which is sometimes represented as a couple in union. The pull of sense objects which contain all meta-narratives such as God, Christ-consciousness, Buddha-nature, ceremony, rituals and permanence. rebirth consciousness: the urge of sensuous existence

有 Existence (skt: bhava) being, existing and becoming, which is sometimes represented as existence through childbirth. rebirth consciousness: existence through childbirth

生 Birth (skt: jāti) birth, which is sometimes represented as a man carrying a corpse. rebirth consciousness: birth, a man carrying a corpse

12. 老死 Old Age, Suffering and Death (skt: jarāmaraõa) old age and death, (impermanence), which is sometimes represented as an old woman leaning on a stick. rebirth consciousness: old age and death

In this order, the prior situation is the condition for the arising of the next situation. Also, in the same order, if the prior condition is extinguished, the next condition is extinguished. These twelve links are also represented in a chart, at the center of which are the serpent (anger), boar (ignorance, or stupidity), and dove (lust) representing the fundamental desires. Each catches the other by the tail, typifying the train of desire and producing the wheel of samsara.

Art Clokey dies at 88; creator of Gumby

By Jason Felch
January 9, 2010

Art Clokey, the creator of the whimsical clay figure Gumby, died in his sleep Friday at his home in Los Osos, Calif., after battling repeated bladder infections, his son Joseph said. He was 88.

Clokey and his wife, Ruth, invented Gumby in the early 1950s at their Covina home shortly after Art had finished film school at USC. After a successful debut on "The Howdy Doody Show," Gumby soon became the star of its own hit television show, "The Adventures of Gumby," the first to use clay animation on television.

After an initial run in the 1950s, Gumby enjoyed comebacks in the 1960s as a bendable children's toy, in the 1980s after comedian Eddie Murphy parodied the kindly Gumby as a crass, cigar-in-the-mouth character in a skit for "Saturday Night Live" and again in the '90s with the release of "Gumby the Movie."

Today, Gumby is a cultural icon recognized around the world. It has more than 134,000 fans on Facebook.

As successive generations discovered the curious green character, Gumby’s success came to define Clokey's life, with its theme song reflecting Clokey's simple message of love: "If you've got a heart, then Gumby's a part of you."

"The fact is that most people don't know his name, but everybody knows Gumby," said friend and animator David Scheve. "To have your life work touch so many people around the world is an amazing thing."

Clokey was born Arthur Farrington in Detroit in October 1921 and grew up making mud figures on his grandparents' Michigan farm. "He always had this in him," his son, Joseph, recalled Friday.

At age 8, Clokey's life took a tragic turn when his father was killed in a car accident soon after his parents divorced. The unusual shape of Gumby's head would eventually be modeled after one of the few surviving photos of Clokey's father, which shows him with a large wave of hair protruding from the right side of his head.

After moving to California, Clokey was abandoned by his mother and her new husband and lived in a halfway house near Hollywood until age 11, when he was adopted by Joseph W. Clokey. The renowned music teacher and composer at Pomona College taught him to draw, paint and shoot film and took him on journeys to Mexico and Canada.

Art Clokey attended the Webb School in Claremont, whose annual fossil hunting expeditions also inspired a taste for adventure that stayed with him. "That's why 'The Adventures of Gumby' were so adventurous," his son said.

Clokey served in World War II, conducting photo reconnaissance over North Africa and France. Back in Hartford, Conn., after the war, he was studying to be an Episcopal minister when he met Ruth Parkander, the daughter of a minister. The two married and moved to California to pursue their true passion: filmmaking.

During the day, the Clokeys taught at the Harvard School for Boys in Studio City, now Harvard-Westlake. At night, Art Clokey studied film at USC under Slavko Vorkapich, a pioneer of modern montage techniques.

Clokey's 1953 experimental film, "Gumbasia," used stop-motion clay animation set to a lively jazz tempo. It became the inspiration for the subsequent Gumby TV show when Sam Engel, the president of 20th Century Fox and father of one of Clokey's students, saw the film and asked Clokey to produce a children's television show based on the idea.

In the 1960s, Clokey created and produced the Christian TV series "Davey and Goliath" and the credits for several feature films, including "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini."

Gumby's ability to enchant generations of children and adults had a mystical quality to it, said his son, and reflected his father's spiritual quest. In the 1970s, Clokey studied Zen Buddhism, traveled to India to study with gurus and experimented with LSD and other drugs, though all of that came long after the creation of Gumby, his son said.

His second wife, Gloria, whom he married in 1976, was art director on Gumby projects in the 1980s and '90s. She died in 1998.

Besides his son Joseph, Clokey is survived by his stepdaughter, Holly Harman of Mendocino County; three grandchildren, Shasta, Sequoia and Sage Clokey; his sister, Arlene Cline of Phoenix; and his half-sister, Patricia Anderson of Atlanta.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Gumby's name to the Natural Resources Defense Council, of which Art Clokey was a longtime member.

"Gumby was green because my dad cared about the environment," his son said.

jason.felch@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times