Dear Zen Master Seung Sahn,
I am most grateful for your kind teaching of the dharma. I am also thankful
to have such an impeccable master as yourself. I'm trying to keep the mantra
you gave me and with personal effort, I hope to realize don't-know mind.
Sincerely,
Jim
Dear Jim,
Thank you for your letter. In past lifetimes we had the same karma, so in
this lifetime we meet again and practice the Buddha's teachings. Our similar
karma does not stop in this life. In the future we will also meet again and
practice Buddhist teachings together. And not just you - our whole Zen family.
You must practice your mantra with great strength. This is very important.
Mantra mind is Buddha's mind. Buddha's mind is your true self. An eminent
teacher once said, "One mind is everything and everything is one mind."
Also, one mind is infinite time, infinite space. But what is mind?
Long ago in China someone asked Zen Master Ma Jo, "What is mind?" He said, "Mind is Buddha, Buddha is mind." Later someone asked him the same question and he said, "No mind, no Buddha." No mind, no Buddha, what does that mean? If you strongly practice mantra at that time there is only one mind. One mind means empty mind. Empty mind means before thinking. Before thinking means no speech, no words. Before thinking is true mind, true Buddha. So, no mind, no Buddha. Only practice your mantra. Put it all down. Then you will find your true self. I hope you will soon get enlightenment and save all beings from suffering.
Sincerely,
Zen Master Seung Sahn
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