Reviews
The precious teachings of Great Master Seung Sahn. "Simply do nothing, do not know." Through this book, I was able to understand the Master's teachings even better.
"Many people think that knowledge helps themselves and the world. But that is not the case. Knowledge that is merely someone else's thoughts cannot help yourself or the world. What you read in books and hear in lectures is not your own. If you try to understand it with your head, you cannot understand the world as it truly is. If you do that, you end up harming yourself and plunging others into suffering. p108 People live their entire lives hoping for good things to happen. However, bad things
Sometimes, when I am weary of life and long to lean on something, I yearn for a tranquil mountain temple. Although it has always been there, lowly sentient beings, floundering in the storms of the world, failed to realize its significance until it suddenly becomes a place I miss like a childhood home. It is also a place where one is beaten with a bamboo stick for immaturity, and where the unsolvable Zen koans of a cold-eyed Zen monk are unavoidable, much like an exam paper faced without having
This was only the second book related to Buddhism in my life, the first being a book by Venerable Beopjeong that sat on my mother's bookshelf a very long time ago. Strangely enough, even though I love temples because they bring me such peace, I don't like books about Buddhism, despite being a book lover. Is it because they are quite difficult, or perhaps because the language feels convoluted? Books about Buddhism or monks are generally quite challenging. Even monks, when asked a question, often
As I read the books, I felt a sense of longing for Zen Master Seung Sahn. When I first encountered his teachings, I was merely ignorant... but I was glad that reading these various books served as an opportunity to take a step closer to my true self.
The keywords of this book are Sungsan, Zen, Mindlessness, Emptiness, "Only Don't Know," Socrates, a Clear Mind, and Tranquility. I decided to read this book because I remembered seeing a foreigner with blue eyes on TV living as a monk at Hwagyesa Temple, and I wanted to know what drew him from the United States to Korea. I also wanted to feel the fragrance of Zen that I had forgotten for so long. Readers interested in Zen or Buddhism will find this book easy to read without feeling burdened. I
Hyeongak: Shoot the Buddha
*Shoot the Buddha* captures the teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn, known as the "Korean Bodhidharma." This book compiles the words of Zen Master Seung Sahn, a life teacher revered as one of the world's four great living Buddhas alongside the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Maha Gosananda. A leading figure in overseas missionary work, Zen Master Seung Sahn established over 120 Zen centers in 32 countries, nurturing countless foreign disciples. Ven. Hyeon Gak, who compiled this book, also entered monastic life in 1992 after hearing Zen Master Seung Sahn's sermons. Organized by Ven. Hyeon Gak, this book contains everything from the ultimate questions and solutions of life exchanged between Zen Master Seung Sahn and his disciples, to his life stories and practices, the wisdom of eminent monks, and even the "Letter to a Dictator" sent to former President Chun Doo-hwan, which is being revealed for the first time. With his incisive rhetoric, it guides travelers of the truth along a compassionate path of enlightenment that illuminates the way of life. Zen Master Seung Sahn famously said, "You are already perfect. You just don't know it!" Through sayings such as, "You must always be awake to the teachings that come to you!" and "Desire nothing. Possess nothing. Attach nothing!", the truth that "if you desire to attain enlightenment, you will go astray. You must simply do" was emphasized. These are teachings that help one become free through self-enlightenment.
Korean title: 부처를 쏴라
Korean author: 현각
Korean publisher: 김영사
ISBN-13: 9788934933564
Reviews
The precious teachings of Great Master Seung Sahn. "Simply do nothing, do not know." Through this book, I was able to understand the Master's teachings even better.
"Many people think that knowledge helps themselves and the world. But that is not the case. Knowledge that is merely someone else's thoughts cannot help yourself or the world. What you read in books and hear in lectures is not your own. If you try to understand it with your head, you cannot understand the world as it truly is. If you do that, you end up harming yourself and plunging others into suffering. p108 People live their entire lives hoping for good things to happen. However, bad things
Sometimes, when I am weary of life and long to lean on something, I yearn for a tranquil mountain temple. Although it has always been there, lowly sentient beings, floundering in the storms of the world, failed to realize its significance until it suddenly becomes a place I miss like a childhood home. It is also a place where one is beaten with a bamboo stick for immaturity, and where the unsolvable Zen koans of a cold-eyed Zen monk are unavoidable, much like an exam paper faced without having
This was only the second book related to Buddhism in my life, the first being a book by Venerable Beopjeong that sat on my mother's bookshelf a very long time ago. Strangely enough, even though I love temples because they bring me such peace, I don't like books about Buddhism, despite being a book lover. Is it because they are quite difficult, or perhaps because the language feels convoluted? Books about Buddhism or monks are generally quite challenging. Even monks, when asked a question, often
As I read the books, I felt a sense of longing for Zen Master Seung Sahn. When I first encountered his teachings, I was merely ignorant... but I was glad that reading these various books served as an opportunity to take a step closer to my true self.
The keywords of this book are Sungsan, Zen, Mindlessness, Emptiness, "Only Don't Know," Socrates, a Clear Mind, and Tranquility. I decided to read this book because I remembered seeing a foreigner with blue eyes on TV living as a monk at Hwagyesa Temple, and I wanted to know what drew him from the United States to Korea. I also wanted to feel the fragrance of Zen that I had forgotten for so long. Readers interested in Zen or Buddhism will find this book easy to read without feeling burdened. I
