ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º BuddhaNet: Buddhist Info Network Buddha Dharma Education Assoc. º º Web Site: www.buddhanet.net PO Box K1020 Haymarket NSW 2000 º º Email: bdea@buddhanet.net Tel: +61-2-92123071 AUSTRALIA º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ How can meditation help you ? Venerable Ki Hoo Sunim - Translated by Justine Lee I am very happy to be here today. I would especially like to thank the Unibuds and their supporters for providing us the opportunity to share this dhamma talk, on meditation, with you. I hope it may help you find your true selves. I left Korea to come to Australia four years ago. Because I still do not speak English well enough, I have asked Justine to translate for me. I hope this does not cause you any inconvenience. To learn better English, I have been going everyday to an English course for migrants in Bankstown. Whenever I am there, I become a student. But tonight, at this meeting, I am a teacher. So should I, the person named Ki Hoo be called a student or a teacher? In the end, the person named Ki Hoo can be a pupil or a teacher at different times. But therefore it would be best to say he is neither truly a pupil, nor a teacher. You can have four different descriptions about a single person, using words and names. To that extent, words are vague and uncertain. Zen meditation refuses to use words or theories because it dislikes any uncertainty. A meditation practice only pursues clearness, and when that is understood, one can accept everything. Then one's whole life enters a state of clearness and certainty. The next thing that Zen dislikes is discrimination, caused by thinking, calculating, and analyzing. Let's say that you have just eaten a delicious, sweet mango. If someone who had not tasted it asked you how it tasted, would you be able to describe the exact taste of that mango to him? Rather than using descriptions, it would be best to have a piece of the mango to find out. The original meditation practice sets itself apart from analyzing consciousness and awareness. So how can we in reality, where theory and analysis make up the foundation of society in which we live, practice meditation which excludes theory and analysis? Another very important thing is to examine closely how this exclusion can affect our lives. What we fear the most is the fact that everything that happens on this earth is actually good, true, and philosophical, existing harmoniously together. But we see and understand this with darkened minds, thus causing suffering that makes us regard the true state of the world as something we should deny, and distance ourselves from. When we think about it carefully, strictly, all things on earth came into existence naturally, through cause and effect, and including every one of us. But even whilst living in this harmony, we struggle against it, trying to free ourselves from it,- and conflicts arise. The aim of meditation, the essence of the dhamma, is to create and rediscover our values. Instead of throwing something away because we think it is bad, we should remodel it, cultivate it, make it more valuable to use to our advantage. To do that, we need to acquire wisdom by changing our attitude's towards our understanding and knowledge of different things. I think meditation is the best way to build up this wisdom. Methods of practice differ according to different sects and nationalities. After 30 years of experience with "Kong-An" meditation, I feel that it offers the clearest and the purest essence in meditation. This form of Samatha Meditation reached its peak 1,100 years ago, at the time of the great Zen Master VoVu during the Chinese Tang Dynasty period. He was the best of all masters who created Kong-Ans, and I will introduce one of his Kong-Ans now... One day, when a monk came to visit VoVu, VoVu asked him if he had visited there before. When the visitor said no, VoVu told him to,"Just have some tea!" Then, some days later, another monk came visiting, and VoVu asked if he had been there before. When the visitor said yes, VoVu told him to,"Just have some tea". VoVu's attendant who had looked on in both occasions, asked VoVu why he told both monks to have some tea when one said yes and the other no? VoVu then called the attendant and when the attendant answered the call, VoVu told him to,"Just have some tea". So a Kong-An named VoVu Vikdara was created. Now, if one does not fully understand what this "Just have some tea" is, then this becomes a Kong-An. What did VoVu mean by "Just have some tea?"? The idea is to concentrate and question this puzzling speech (Kong-An) day and night. This is the basic method of Kong-An meditation. The most important point here is that one should question without the desire to find out the answer. One must just question. This is easier said than done, but this method is the Kong-An meditation's first and last most important point. When you keep practicing in this way, many thoughts surrounding you will disappear and you are left with one single question. When that time comes, the practice becomes easy and enjoyable, but it is also a dangerous time. For as one's understanding becomes deeper, at times one may come in contact with the sensations of awakening, and think that one has fully understood VoVu's Kong-An. When that happens you must seek a wise teacher to have your progress and understanding examined, and as well to keep you on the right path. When this is done consistently, you will progress rapidly, your business and work will not fail, your health will improve and life will be happy and interesting. The time will come when you will be able to truly concentrate and meet your true timeless self, and be thankful and satisfied.You will not only be paying respects to the three gems, but to everything around you. You will lead a rich and contented life. Lastly I would like to say something that I have felt throughout the years of my practice before we finish the evening with a sitting. This is that the more one fills, the bigger the space grows to be filled. The more one empties the smaller the space becomes to be emptied. Thank you for your attention. Q1. What should a Westerner contemplate for meditation? A1. They can meditate on Kong-Ans also. Q2. Is there only one answer to the Kong-Ans? A2. Yes the teacher's answer must be matched. Q3. Can you tell us the answer to the Kong-Ans? A3. Actually, in our tradition, this is not the place to be asking questions. The whole point of the Kong-Ans is to use your own mind to find the answer. Asking questions is like a child requesting that the parents walk for it. The child would never learn to walk. In China in the olden days, students were beaten if they answered incorrectly. If they dared to ask further qualifying questions, then they were considered disrespectful and immature, as well as ignorant! Q4. Is this the way meditation is taught in Korea? A4. Yes, meditation is learnt this way, using the Kong-Ans. Q5. Can you give us another example of a Kong An ? A5. Yes, firstly "Who is the master of this body?". Another one is,"Does the dog have Buddha nature ?" The answer to the second Kong-An is given as neither yes nor no. There are 1700 Kong-Ans. One correct answer will be correct for the 1700 questions. A wrong answer means that the 1700 puzzling questions would need 1700 individual answers! Q6. Who examines the answer? A6. There is a way of checking through the answers of the old Zen Masters. The clearness and understanding must last several years. Q7. At what stage is Chinese meditation at? A7. The Chinese now concentrate on Amitahbba Meditation. But 1100 years ago, the Chinese practiced Kong-An meditation. Dhamma talk given on Saturday, March 4th 1995 at the University of NSW Unibuds "Treasures of the East" Exhibition. Unibuds conducts regular dhamma talks on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons throughout the University Semesters, and these are open to all students and the general public.