Weekly Teaching Piece: Not Knowing Is Buddha

By Zen Master Wu Bong

So you have a choice in this life; you can become an expert, or you can not know, and become Buddha. Again this brings us to practicing. No matter what anybody says and no matter how well anything can be explained; it is finally all up to you. The wonderful thing about Buddha’s teaching 

is that Buddha taught us not to accept something just because a wise person or an expert said it. Don’t accept something because a holy book says it is true, or because of tradition. You must find the truth for yourself. Everyone has that capacity.

You came to a Dharma talk, but no matter how well things are explained and how appealing it may be to you, that alone has no power to change your life. There is a vast gulf between understanding what is being said and actually doing it. That’s why having a big question is very important. If you take care of this question, then it can grow up, grow up, grow up. Then one day this flower can bloom. Then you can say, (slapping his knee) “Ah ha.” This “Ah ha” is not the Buddha’s, is not Zen Master Seung Sahn’s, is not Wu Bong’s, it is all yours. So everybody must find that, because this world needs you.