July 2022
Dear Sangha,
Our beloved root teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, created a kong-an for which he is justifiably famous. It goes like this:
Somebody comes to the Zen Center, smoking a cigarette. He blows smoke and drops ashes on the Buddha.
Who is this cigarette man? Perhaps he has had some kind of special-feeling experience, and now considers himself to be completely free. If so, this would be a big mistake.
Zen Master Ji Bong, in addressing this common misunderstanding about freedom, would often allude to a quote from John Cage: “Permission granted, but not to do what you want.” In other words, in that slippery way in which our minds work, if you create an “I”, and then proceed to formulate a notion of “freedom” and “desire”, in actuality, you’ve already thrown yourself in a mind-made prison and thrown away the key.
So what is complete freedom? You already understand.
When you light incense for the altar, first strike a match. Use both hands with attention and care. Light the incense, then shake out the flame with one downward stroke. Take three steps backwards; bow.
Yours in the forever flowing dharma,
Jeong Ji
