Don't-Know Mind: The Spirit of Korean Zen

by Richard Shrobe

"Don't-know mind" is our enlightened mind before ideas, opinions, or concepts arise to create suffering. Practicing with don't-know mind has long been a central concern of Korean Zen. Here, an American Zen master in the Korean lineage brings the teaching to life by using stories about the Chinese and Korean Zen masters as jumping-off points for his own teaching. Don't-Know Mind is a clear, direct, and heartfelt presentation of Zen teaching applicable to anyone, both for formal practice and for all the rest of life.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen

170 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2004

Reviews

[Malik Salam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of essays and dharma talks by Zen Master Wu Kwang (Richard Shrobe). Each section takes root in the writings or stories of a given zen master from Korea. Zen Master Wu Kwang gives us historical context and some fun anecdotes and then uses that as an opportunity to teach. In that way, he makes these historical figures more approachable and their teaching more useful in our daily lives. All of this is underpinned by kindness and humility. A really fun read for anyone interested in Korean zen.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for someone starting out with Buddhism who wants to understand the the basic principles, especially what is meant by Buddha nature. Mr. Shrobe explains concepts in a clear, easy to understand manner. It is a must read for anyone who is seriously interesting in Zen Buddhism.

[Brendan]

Think I read this twice and I keep forgetting if I actually read it or what it had to say, and it's really short too. Somewhat curious.

[Juliane Roell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that many new things for one who is familiar with the teachings and stories used in the Kwan Um School of Zen, but a nice collection and presentation and some valuable extra commentary (sometimes a bit wordy and repetitive and in its repetition overly complicated).