From a Talk by Zen Master Wu Kwang

T onight, I have a few poems that were sent to me by Ken Kessel, Ji Do Poep Sa Nim, who is one of

the teachers in the Kwan Um School of Zen. He was, for a long time, a resident teacher in New York. He writes poetry, and whenever he leads a retreat, he writes a series of poems, one for each student on the retreat. The following poem is from the New Haven retreat of January 20th 2007.

At the end Of the line Is no line No line

Has no end No end

Has no hindrance Leaves fall in Autumn

Snow in winter

Let’s look at this poem. Part of it is similar to a sec-tion of the Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. Form is not different from emptiness. Emptiness is not different from form.” Here it says, “At the end of the line/Is no line.” So there is form; there is a line. But at the

end of the line, if you get to the end of the line, then there is no line. If you take the train out to Brooklyn, to New Lots Avenue, the last stop, that’s it. At the end of the line there is no line.

However, the second permu-tation of “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form” is “No form, no emptiness.” If form truly is emptiness and emptiness truly

is form, then those designators do not really apply to any-thing. Why say “form?” Why say “emptiness?” No form; no emptiness. So Ken says, “No line has no end.” The first part says, “At the end of the line/is no line,” but the second says, “No line has no end.” It also has no begin-ning, no coming, no going, no purity, no impurity. But then he goes one step further: “No end has no hindrance.”

There is a short poem that comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra. It appears in the Compass of Zen that we use. “If you want to understand the realm of Buddha, keep a mind which is clear like space.” Therefore, a mind that is clear like space has no line and no end, no opinion, no conception, no holding anything, no making anything. “Let all thinking and all desires,” (all conceptualizing and all grasping) “fall far away and let your mind go anywhere with no hindrance.”

The mind of no hindrance, the “no end” that has no hindrance, is the Bodhisattva way. If you have no hin-drance you can connect with anything. Then compassion arises freely and easily in your interactions, because you are not holding back, interfering with the free flow of give and take.

The four great Bodhisattva vows say, “Sentient beings are numberless; we vow to save them all. Delusions are endless; we vow to cut through them all. The teachings are infinite; we vow to learn them all. The Buddha way is inconceivable, we vow to attain it.” If you’re not think-ing of an end, a result or gain of some kind, then there is freedom, there is no hindrance. You do not care about an outcome. There is just living your life and being help-ful in any way you can. Is someone hungry? Give them something to eat. No “end.” Not looking for an end, even with practice: No “What am I going to get from practice?” If you let go of having some idea of gain, then there is no hindrance, no problem. With that mind, you can clearly perceive the last two lines of the poem, “Leaves fall in autumn. Snow in winter.” ◆

Newsletter of the Chogye International Zen Center of New York • 400 E. 14th St., Apt. 2E • New York, NY 10009(212) 353 - 0461 • www.cizny.org

Fall/Winter 2007 Editors: Guillermo EchaniquePaul Majchrzyk

Zsuzsanna Sidlo Calligraphy: Sung Hae Sunim

Layout: James Gouijn-Stook

Printing: Printing Spectrum

WOODFISH

Zen Master Wu Kwang

2

WOODFISH www.cizny.org

Nowhere to go Why can’t escape Sentient beings

Are waiting Shhhh Listen

Great joy Great joy

Snow Melt

Flower Breeze Ahhhhh

No eyes No ears No nose

Who cares Vaster

Than anyone knows Sunlight dancing

On Autumn leaves

Simple Simple

Like touching Your nose

When washing Your face

Where is the distinction Where is the distinction

People killing people In this whole world

Where is the distinction

What we have Isn’t what we think

It is Close Close Close Look!

Didja see?

The great flood Swallows everything

All fish attain The place

Of no water

Fiercely gentle Intensely relaxed

Dangerously stable Breathe in Breathe out

Retreat Poems New Haven, Connecticut, January 20, 2007

Ken Kessel, JDPSN

Baek Jang’s Principles of Sitting ZenOriginal translation by Jess Row

“Principles of Sitting Zen” is a section of the Baizhang Qinggui, or “The Clear Rule of Baizhang,” a twelfth-century (Yuan dynasty) version of the original temple rules written by Zen Master Baizhang Huaihai (Baek Jang) in the ninth century, near the end of the Tang dynasty. The original text no longer exists.

The Baizhang Qinggui is markedly different from other well-known Chinese Buddhist texts of this era (such as The Blue Cliff Record or the Mumonkwan) because it is concerned not with biography or teaching stories but with concrete instruc-tions for day-to-day life. “Principles of Sitting Zen” is, to my knowledge, one of the earliest texts offering explicit direc-tions for sitting meditation practice in the Zen tradition. Although there are many translations of Baizhang’s biography, speeches, and dialogues, as far as I know, this particular text has never before appeared in English.

Jess Row

3

www.cizny.org WOODFISH

the One return to?”

It occurred to me that “Imagining the tenth dimension” is similar to our meditation practice in two ways: the essence of our lives is essentially inexplicable by words and its true complexity is out of the reach of our perception. We can imagine many things but only experience the now. Our essence and the totality are there-fore now, right now. We may not be able to perceive the totality of the multi-dimensional universe but, by fully living in the now, we can truly experience it without attachment.

could understand our whole lives not as unfolding moment to moment but as integral wholes. Past, present and future would then lose the defining characteristics that we give them because temporal words cannot truly describe the fourth dimension.

In our practice, we are concerned with our moment-to-moment con-centration on the real, this three dimensional existence that swims in the unexplainable dimension of time. Yet, we often refer to “Primary Point”, the essence of “what-am-I?” our essential existential question. We often quote, “The ten thousand things return to the One. Where does

Now, to study the Prajna-paramita means to take up the great heart of compassion and expand our vows and

intentions.

This is the precious practice of samadhi we vow to under-take for all beings. Don’t conceive of the body only as a way to seek to solve or alleviate problems, or as a means of escape.

Abandon all reasons of wanting to rest; let go of your ten thousand thoughts.

Use the body and mind together as a means of paying attention, in an undivided way, without quantifying, even while drinking and eating; pay close attention even while sleeping.

When you are sitting, seek a point of tranquil, thoughtful attention over all present phenomena.

Sit cross-legged or half cross-legged. Put the left palm over the right. Put the two thumbs together.

Sit with your body upright. Square your ears with the tops of your shoulders. Align your nose with your navel.

Your tongue should be propped on your teeth. Your eyes should be slightly open. Avoid falling asleep.

If you attain Zen practice your strength will increase to the utmost.

The great practicing monks of old always kept their eyes open. Zen Master Faxu laughed at people who closed their eyes while sitting Zen. He called this a black mountain spirit cave. Heed this deep and profound statement.

Don’t concern yourself with good and evil. Set out to achieve attainment just now.

Lasting attainment has no taste, does not fall away, does not scatter.

Ten thousand years with one intention: not short, not long. This is the only technique needed for sitting Zen.

Sitting Zen is the dharma-entrance to peace and joy.

There are many who fall ill and fail to realize their intention.

To realize your intention and self-nature is the fourth great serenity. It is to have a brilliant spirit, clear and hopeful.

The flavor of the dharma is natural stillness and constant illumination of the spirit. It is to awaken from a deep sleep and realize that life and death are exactly the same.

But you must control your mind without the intention of gaining anything. Otherwise I fear that along the Way great devils will distract even the strongest practitioner.

If you keep these thoughts foremost in your mind, nothing will detain you. ◆

Recently someone sent me a link to Rob Ryton’s “Imagining the

tenth dimension”. It is a visual dem-onstration on how the multi-dimen-sional structure of the universe arises according to modern physics theory. An apparently unorthodox explana-tion, it is fascinating but difficult to truly grasp. However, with the expla-nation of the fourth dimension, I had an “Aha” experience, similar to what sometimes we get in our practice when we realize a kong-an.

The author posits that, should we be able to perceive time, the fourth dimension, as well as we perceive our familiar three-dimensional world, we

Principles of Sitting Zen

From the Editor’s Cushionby Guillermo “Willie” Echanique

(continued on p. 4)

4

WOODFISH www.cizny.org

through space and time and beyond, but what is the one thing we must do above all?

Correct!

Enjoy!

The universe (which includes the newsletter) is similar to a birthday cake we recently had at the Zen center. Chocolate layers with large strawberries, all beauti-fully arranged. We may seek to understand the nature of the cake

In this edition, we visit experien-tial journeys into understanding. We have life and death, teachings, poetry, eulogies and history, all under one roof, Woodfish.

From the Editor (continued from p. 3)

thing that helps you?” I responded that I practiced meditation not just for me but, more importantly, “to help all people.” Without hesitation, he said, “If this is so important to you, I am happy you are doing it.”

I miss my father and his unconditional belief in me. So, I wanted to have this 49-Day Ceremony because I feel the real meaning of his death is an injunction for us all to “wake up now!” I recent-ly read that Zen Master Seung Sahn described two kinds of people: “Soon die and later die.” We all like to think that we are in the “later die” category, but we really don’t know, do we? So, will we wake up, or will we just keep dreaming about the past and the future? It is important

to me that during this ceremony we invited my dad to wake up and attain his correct job. Indeed, we invited all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all the great teachers to mingle with my father’s spirit in the Dharma room. Also, we chanted so that everybody wakes up together. At that moment, we wake up, my father wakes up, and this whole universe wakes up.

So thank you everyone for attend-ing and making this 49-day ceremo-ny possible. ◆

compete in the “middle school” city gymnastics championships of Philadelphia. For the next 10-years of my athletic career (up to my Olympics competition) he never missed any of my gymnas-tics meets, except those beyond

driving distance. He was always my biggest fan and that ultimately transcended sports.

This powerful belief in me even extended to practicing Buddhism. My father was neither a religious nor a spiritual man but he had a strong Jewish identity. I was in my mid-thirties and already a Dharma Teacher when I decided to tell him (and my mother) about Zen prac-tice. He asked me, “Is this some-

My father was the son of Lithuanian immigrants. He

died unexpectedly at the age of 91. He was expected to die in 1945 at the age of 29 after he was shot in the face with a bullet that miracu-lously exited the neck without hitting a major artery or nerve. My father was in France during WWII when the bullet and multiple shrapnel wounds left him dis-abled but a survivor. He came close to death once more at age 56 after his first heart attack. A successful coronary by-pass pro-cedure afforded him good health and vital-ity. Again, critical surgeries at age 66, 77 and 86 saved his life. When he was 88, a very uncommon reaction to a medical drug destroyed his kidneys. From that time until his death, my father drove himself to kidney dialysis three times a week. He was a fighter.

My father had an inborn gene for “sports fanaticism.” He never loved me more than after it was discovered that I was a natural born gymnast. Gymnastics was a sport totally unknown to him until I came home at the age of 12 and announced that I was going

49-Day Ceremony Eulogy for Harry CohenSteve Cohen, JDPSN

Harry Cohen’s 49-Day Memorial Ceremony. November 18, 2007

5

www.cizny.org WOODFISH

poems contains the phrase:

“Here, in the realm of decline, among momentary days, Be the crystal cup that shattered even as it rang.”

If we can “be the crystal cup that shattered even as it rang”... then our lives will have had meaning. That is the way to be remembered.

We join with you in remembering the life and loss of George Vincent Babcock. Ji Jang Bosal… whose great compassion and great love is the same as your own, M.K. and shows your father the light that he brought into this world. ◆

the time that has gone by or the future, reason or choice, practicing or not-practicing. There is a story in Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, about the grandmother who was cry-ing for her dead granddaughter and somebody questioned her because she was a Zen Master. “You’re a great Zen Master, why are you cry-ing?” And she said, “My tears send her to heaven.” I love that. That is what that means: love is just flow-ing, and you send it to the departed, to George Babcock, the father, the husband, the friend.

Ranier Maria Rilke, the poet, was interested in Buddhism. One of his

Though I never met George Babcock, I know his daughter

M.K. and, “I know” it was his aura and that of the incisive intellect of M.K. that merged with her loving and compassionate nature.

Just as we say that Zen Buddhism draws us to seek an understanding of our True Self, “What am I?”, we are led to ask about George Babcock or the loss of any loved one, “Who was that?” “What was that?” The same “Not knowing” state that flows from all of these questions is a state of inti-macy and love… because this “Not knowingness” does not worry about

49-Day Ceremony Eulogy for George Vincent BabcockSteve Cohen, JDPSN

Perhaps He Will Accept the Memory of Trees

Written for my father in 2002

He wants a landscape, but all I can give him is thisdim view beyond my windshield, the dark distanceof the horizon and the slanting rain. And the sky,a vague and moving gray.

Or can I give him last spring when a sudden freezingrain sheathed the forest in ice. Can I give himeach tree that wore transparent sleeves and the berriestrapped in dripping glass. What of the momentwhen I forgot their brief poison and saw insteada bush of bleeding hearts in early bloom.

Maybe I can tell him how quickly everything becametwice brittle and promised to shatter.

M.K. Babcock

MK Lights Incense

MK’s Brother Lights Incense

MK Speaks

Steve Cohen Eulogizes George Vincent Babcock

6

WOODFISH www.cizny.org

tive movement of Universal Energy or the Universal Principle. When this practice is being integrated into one’s daily life the action of the Universal Principle creates within each person “Right Presence”, which is the mani-festation of practicing the Eight-fold Path. All of the eight precepts will be touched upon as one learns the deep breathing techniques and the special postures that are associated with them. The cultivation of Right Presence enables the student of Zen meditation to maintain a vigorous and calming practice that leads to greater levels of concentration and endurance in one’s sitting. ◆

Classes are held on Saturdays, after regular morning practice. Please check the schedule on our website.

What has been presented in classes at the Zen Center is the beginning stage that focuses on training the body to orient itself toward reclaim-ing its “original natural breath” as a foundation for cultivating mindful-ness of breathing. The practice of ‘original natural breath‘ or lower abdominal breathing improves and revitalizes the autonomic nervous system and the self-healing and restorative forces of our body. This is essential for the optimal develop-ment of a meditation practice.

As the body is restored and vitalized, the mind will follow. The purpose of the cultivation of deep breathing is to consolidate the physical and physiological breath-ing with the mind and to link this process into the unified, transforma-

M indfulness of Breathing is based on the Buddha’s

teaching on meditation as found in the ‘Anapanasati Sutra’ from the Majjhima Nikaya. Korea has a long history in cultivating the practice of deep breathing that focuses on the training of the mind and body for the preservation of good health, the eradication of disease, and living life with full vigor. This tradition has been taught for many centuries and is now being presented to mem-bers of the Chogye International Zen Center of New York.

Deep Breathing involves the development of lower abdominal breathing along with special postures. There are many stages of practice. To realize them all takes many years of training and continuous practice.

Korean Deep Breathing Program: Deep Breathing Techniques and Exercises for Zen Meditation Il Don Sunim, Ordained Minister in the Jogye Order

7

www.cizny.org WOODFISH

➤ Highlights of the Precepts Ceremony this summer include our members, Sookyoung Lee (Hae Shim) taking 10 Precepts to become a Dharma Teacher-in-Training, and Fumiko Eda (Soeng Shim) tak-ing 5 Precepts. At the Precepts Ceremony in the spring, Myungjin Chung (Bo Wol) became a Dharma Teacher.

➤ During the Winter Precepts Ceremony, John Holland (Dae Won) took Bodhisattva Teacher pre-cepts. Colin Beavan (Won Soeng) took 10 Precepts to become a Dharma Teacher-in-Training.

➤ Zen Master Wu Kwang celebrated his 65th Birthday this year. A large number of Sangha members, friends, and family attended the party on November 17.

➤ Colin Beavan has attained international recogni-tion for his efforts to live with a low impact on the environment.... his blog can be found at www.noimpactman.com. Bravo!

➤ In Memoriam: 49-Day Ceremonies were held on August 5, 2007 for George Vincent Babcock, father of MK Babcock (Wu Ryong) and, on November 18, 2007 for Harry Cohen, father of Steve Cohen, JDPSN (Won Gak). Ji Jang Bosal.

was Mu Gak Sah, or the Temple of No-enlightenment. “Oh, just my luck!” I thought.

It took me some time to figure that out.

When I retired, I returned to live in New York. I practice at the Chogye International Zen Center

of New York where they sell water down-town beside the East River. I would also like to invite you, when you are thirsty, to an uptown watering place, Chogye Sah, where they sell water beside the Hudson River. Students from both of these vibrant centers will be taking precepts this afternoon on this auspicious day that commemorates the Enlightenment of the Buddha. ◆

It was a chilly day in New Haven and after a long wait, I said to myself, “This is not Kyoto. Standing here is absurd!” So I left, to return some days later when someone did open the door of the Center.

After practicing there for a while, I discovered that its name

John Holland, Senior Dharma Teacher

A number of years ago when I was living and working in

Connecticut I decided to visit the New Haven Zen Center. I went there on a day when I was told that there would be an introductory class about Zen.

But when I got to the house and rang the doorbell, there was no response. Remembering, as I did, from some book about Zen, how supplicants at Japanese monaster-ies were made to wait outside for as long as three days, I thought that per-haps I was being tested and that I should remain on the doorstep.

Sangha News:

Enlightenment Day Ceremony Dharma TalkProvidence Zen Center, December 1, 2007

8

WOODFISH www.cizny.org

8 Woodfish www.cizny.org

Chogye International Zen Center of New York was founded in 1975 by Zen Master SeungSahn, who was the 78th Patriarch in his line of Dharma Transmission in the Chogye order ofKorean Buddhism. He was the first Korean Zen master to live and teach in the West, and estab-lished Zen Centers in Europe, South America, and Asia as well as in the United States. Together,these centers form the Kwan Um School of Zen.

Our Program: Daily practice, including: chanting, bowing and sitting meditation; extendedsitting practice on Wednesday evenings; monthly talks on Zen, study groups; Sunday eveningintroductions to Zen practice, two- and three-day retreats, one-day sitting intensives, and tradi-tional Zen interviews.

Teacher: Zen Master Wu Kwang (Richard Shrobe), named Zen Master by Dae Soen Sa Nim. A Zen practitionersince 1975, he received formal inka (certification) from Dae Soen Sa Nim in 1984 and is authorized to performall formal teaching activities. He holds an MSW plus a BA in music, and is a practicing psychotherapist.

The Altar, CIZCNY

Chogye International Zen Center

400 E. 14th Street. 2ENew York, NY 10009

Joseph Smith100 Any StreetAny Town, NJ 10036

PLACE

STAMP

HERE

WAFERS

The Chogye International Zen Center of New York isa non-profit Buddhist organization founded in 1975 inNew York City. CIZCNY is part of the Kwan Um Schoolof Zen following the teachings and guidance of ZenMaster Seung Sahn, the first Korean Zen Master toteach in the West. Through our Zen practice and per-sonal lives, we do our utmost to develop compassion

and insight, and to save all beings from suffering.

For more information please call 212-353-0461 orvisit CIZCNY.org or KwanUmZen.org. For a schedule ofspecial events (Meditation Retreats, Dharma Talks, andSpecial Occasions) please visit www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cizny.sangha%40gmail.com

� � �

� � �

Teachers: Zen Master Wu Kwang • Steve Cohen, JDPSN