Wanting Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake: Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn

by Seung Sahn, Jon Kabat-Zinn (Foreword), Hyon Gak (Editor)

A major figure in the transmission of Zen to the West, Zen Master Seung Sahn was known for his powerful teaching style, which was direct, surprising, and often humorous. He taught that Zen is not about achieving a goal, but about acting spontaneously from “don’t-know mind.” It is from this “before-thinking” nature, he taught, that true compassion and the desire to serve others naturally arises. This collection of teaching stories, talks, and spontaneous dialogues with students offers readers a fresh and immediate encounter with one of the great Zen masters of the twentieth century.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Spirituality, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2006

Reviews

[Peter Landau · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could I not read a book called WANTING ENLIGHTENMENT IS A BIG MISTAKE: TEACHINGS OF ZEN MASTER SEUNG SAHN? Easily. A friend gave it to my wife and it has since rested on various shelves before being lost in a drawer and finally packed away for our move. When unpacked, it earned a spot in the empty walk-in closet of our new home. We're contracting the many repairs necessary on the rundown property before it’s suitable for moving our stuff out of storage. So I saw Seung Sahn’s smiling face on the book’s cover every day, at last I gave in and read it.

Reading the book is like spending a few days with a crazy uncle, and I’ve had a few of those room-emptying relatives who only I was able to tolerate. At first the short stories, dharma talks and interviews were that typical absurdist Zen contradictions. I love that nonsense. He repeats his tropes like the endlessly turning point of a drill until they bore into your head and start to make sense. That’s when I put myself on guard. It’s a dangerous place to be, acceptance, without the due diligence of skepticism and a dose of critical thinking. But the book is only made up of words, and as the master himself says, once you open your mouth you’ve already made a mistake.

I think his teachings are elusive because as with any spiritual tradition, the truth is beyond words and rational thought. It’s experiential. You can hear the lessons over and over again, and reading this short book you will. Seung Sahn brings up the same examples over and over again. But they mean little to nothing until they’ve been lived in. It’s like those old jeans you used to buy that were stiff and uncomfortable, but after you wore them while soaking in a tub of water, they would fit you like a glove. The answer isn’t cerebral or emotional but both and neither at the same time on acid and in hell. Right?

[MP · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best resource on Zen.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the Stone Office at the Tassajara Zen Center in California. I'd been flipping through it while waiting to ask a question of the woman at the front desk. I don't remember which passage I read, but something about the tone of the teachings, more than the substance, struck me. They sounded clear and sweet and in Seung Sahn's words, "correct" but also quite confusing to my thinking brain. Like a good Zen riddle or koan is supposed to, maybe? I haven't meditated enough to know, I guess. Anyway, it kept echoing in my brain over the next couple of days, so I finally went back to buy the book and devoured most of it within a couple of days. (I am working on moderation, among other things).

The book is a compilation of teachings from Seung Sahn by one of his students. I won't pretend to understand what they all meant, but I liked them all the same. They made me feel happy and like "all shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well" (as the Catholic mystic Julian or Norwich said). They also made me feel as if, if I practice diligently, I'll be able to take that sense of "all shall be well" around with my in my body more regularly instead of struggling so hard to come back to that peacefulness after straying far into the land of overthinking and overefforting and anxiousness.

Recently, my brain has felt overloaded from trying to figure things out, so I'm trying not to think too much (VERY difficult for me), and am trusting some other part of myself more. Perhaps one day after I've done all that practicing diligently, I'll come back and update the review and say something wiser that might tell you more about Seung Sahn's teachings. Or maybe not?

One of the things I do remember is the story of someone passing along a tape recording of Seung Sahn's voice to a friend who was stressed and anxious so that she couldn't sleep and was having all sorts of health problems as a result. I can't remember if he was speaking in Korean on the tapes or if she couldn't understand English, but either way, she couldn't understand what he was saying. Her friend knew this, but gave her the tapes on purpose, knowing that just hearing Seung Sahn's voice and the kindness and clarity and "correctness" in it was enough to sooth her and make her feel at peace.

I could relate to that lady. Like I have no more space in my brain, but I just needed the feeling of wisdom washing over me... That's how this book felt. (I get the same feeling reading Rilke or Rumi or being in nature or seeing paintings by some favorite artists)...

[briz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing I like about Zen is its winning combination of austerity and irreverance; it can really cut to the chase about Buddhist principles. And who doesn't like a good kōan, ready to shock them into a state of higher awareness? WHO, I ASK YOU?

This book is a collection of recollections and stories from a popular Zen master, Seung Sahn. Zen's history in American Buddhism is always very interesting, and many Buddhist teachers that came to the West brought with them charisma and controversy (e.g. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and so on). Seung Sahn seems to have been the same (well, if his wiki is to be believed!), and I would have loved to learn more about the life and politics stuff back in Korea: for example, he was originally from Pyongyang, born into a Presbyterian family, before emigrating south and converting to Buddhism.

The stories really convey Seung Sahn's charisma: I found myself laughing out loud, and appreciating the wit - even cheek! - of some of them. I loved the short section on "Can women attain Enlightenment?" (yo, feminist-me was all ready for battle - as was the woman in the story - Seung Sahn's repartee, "Oh, so you're a woman then?" was a great way to pull the rug out from under me/her*). The writing - like any book that purports to be about wisdom and parables - felt sometimes simplistic, sometimes repetitive, sometimes "OK, OK, I get it!" But I guess this would be when a Zen student would get hit with the stick. You don't get it!

It was especially pleasant to find the stories and messages resonating in my day-to-day activities. I found both existential solace (always useful!) and some good kōan-ish (in Korean, I think it's kong'an?) moments to chew over.

* Because woman/man/etc stuff is all just false dichotomy, dust-in-the-eyes stuff. Yo, we can get into Buddhist philosophy later...

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's absolutely nothing to say about this book, or what it points towards.
It offered everything and nothing. Laughed all the way through.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zen Master Seung Sahn seemed to be a funny man and surely now I have a different idea about Enlightenment, but as far as I'm concerned, this Koan (if I'm allowed to call them like that) shouldn't be read one after the other but I should have taken time to reflect on each of them, my fault.

Il Maestro Zen Seung Sahn sembrava una persona divertente e sicuramente mi ha fornito una visione dell'Illuminazione diversa da quella che avevo, ma per quanto mi riguarda, la lettura di questi Koan (se posso chiamarli cosí) non avrei dovuto farla consecutivamente, ma avrei dovuto fermarmi a riflettere su ognuno di essi, peggio per me.

[TRior · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its hard to imagine anyone doing more damage to the Zen tradition than Seung Sahn. He literally sent out a entire legion of followers who talk like robots, drawing from a memorized reservoir of catch phrases, pretending they have no thoughts, idolizing ignorance, and generally presenting awakening as an architecture of omissions. Good luck trying to live as a human void, wandering around in circles...it doesn't work.

[Levas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The style of Seung Sahn teachings is amazing. Though there are things that are repetitive when reading not through the first book of his, it's well worth every letter and every word to be read and smiled at.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is what you are looking for, you will love it. Otherwise, not.

[Adam Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! A lot of valuable stories from the great master himself. Truly enlightening.

[JR]

Otro libro recomendado por Kabat-Zinn: Wanting Enlightment is a Big Mistake

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't know much about buddhism or reaching enlightenment or being zen, but i found the book really interesting about those concepts. the stories told can be kind of repetitive, as it's more of a written recording of teachings that have been given by zen master seung san (which includes notes like "extended laughter from audience") but still, the stories told engage your brain to think and then become flummoxed pretty quickly. these are things i find fascinating.

also, i read this while sitting in a book store because i had a couple of hours with nothing planned and it looked interesting :)

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of the Seung Sahn's talks. It is entertaining but repetitive. Because each chapter is very short it is a quick read. The master hammers home the concept of no-mind. He seems to be solely focused on that most basic Zen teaching which is that thinking is the source of our suffering and it obscures and hinders our understanding of our true nature. Because it is mostly in the form of question and answer, the book gives insight into the relationship between a Zen master and his/her students.

[Steve Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of "nice" anecdotes about the teachings of this Korean monk. Pretty disappointing really, nothing much of any substance. A few sections worth reading but nothing for anyone looking for serious discussion. It would all be pretty difficult to get much out of if the reader has no background in the teachings and practice. Pretty sentimental in places.

[Davin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled across this collection of question and answer sessions, stories, and anecdotes in the library. There are some reasonably insightful and interesting statements about Zen in here but mostly it's surprisingly funny and fun. There is a refreshing sense of joy to the book.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any attempt to describe this book is a big mistake. :) Anyone with the curiosity to explore the practice of Zen should add this, The Compass of Zen and Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind to their reading list.

[Tim Nowotny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, with this one I struggled.
On the one side I liked the light tone and some new perspectives. On the other side it felt repetitive and for me it was too much like a single praise of Seung Sahn's intellect

[Marissa Adlard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find myself reading chapters before bed. It helps to remind ourselves what Buddhist philosophy has to offer and how it can enrich your daily life.

[Kevin]

So far, this is a really fascinating take on the teachings of Zen.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go straight, don't know mind, try mind, straight for 10,000 years!