Zen Master Seung Sahn (1927-2004) was the head of the Kwan Um School of Zen with centers in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. He was a great advocate of the "just-now mind," emphasizing being present and fully alert in the present moment. This paperback book, compiled and edited by Hyon Gak, is the first collection of his dharma talks, excerpts from dialogues with his students, and other material published since his death. It puts on display the teaching style of this accomplished Korean Zen Master.
One of the main points that comes up again and again in his teachings stories is that Zen means not depending on anything. Attachment to our own ideas and viewpoints leads to endless problems. The importance of keeping a clear mind moment to moment is another point that comes up in dialogues with his students. Being still is recommended by Seung Sahn: it means emptying the mind and stopping thinking. Don't make things, this leads to I, me and mine.
"Wanting enlightenment is a big mistake," this Zen Master says repeatedly. Attachment to results is a dead-end street. "You are already complete. You just don't know it," he told his students. This collection of Zen insights opens the door to a revised view of reality.
