Transmission Ceremony 1996 智顶洋音—Jibong Haeŭm sŏnsa

Zen Teachers

Do not cling to your opinions. Do not discuss your private views with others. To cling to and defend your opinions is to destroy your practice. Put away all of your opinions. This is true Buddhism. The Sangha rules and the precepts are the heart of our path. They comprise our map, and that map aids us in finding an authentic Zen life. It is one of our primary obligations to follow them with integrity, exactitude and total commitment. This is a most serious matter!

There is an implicit compact made between the Zen Master and the Zen student. The teacher brings to that encounter many years of training and experience, which embodies his or her wisdom and compassion. This process is called the transmission of insight, insight into our true nature. It has passed through 79 generations. Transmission was passed from Zen Master Sŭngsan to me and his charge to me is to keep that lineage alive into the 80th generation. The Zen teacher opens him or herself and allows the transmitted mind light and its concomitant Bodhisattva compassion to shine directly into a student’s nature. However, in order to receive that light the student must, also, bring two things to this process. The student must be willing to let go of their opinion, situation, and condition and also give complete loyalty and trust to the teacher. Without these stipulations on both sides nothing of significance ever happens in the training process. These are the basic tenants of Zen training. This does not, of course, mean that any individual teacher is a completely perfect human being, without fault, in the moment–to–moment world of cause and effect. But, the teacher’s attainment must be authentic and, most importantly, both the student’s and the teacher’s intentions must be pure. This is the essence of Zen and this big mind has been and will continue to be transmitted always from one individual to another. I believe in this process 100%. My life is a living example of that belief. Do you believe in this process? If you do not, then you are not actually a Zen student. If you are truly committed to this path then you must find a teacher with whom you can form a bond of vows that is pure. Any teacher of substance will demand this of you.

In the above context, most of the matters, which seem to occupy the student’s mind, become trivialities. Governance is simply irrelevant when applied to the Zen teaching and learning process. The tradition was established thousands of years ago and to be authentic it must be honored. If you cannot do this then you don’t really want to practice Zen; there are many other noble paths that you might follow in this world. The issue of a teacher’s popularity is also a non–issue. Many significant teachers have been cantankerous, abrasive and autocratic in ways that you can hardly imagine. That very aspect of their nature has often proved to be useful in cracking the student’s shell of karma. Zen Master Sŭngsan lost the vast majority of his students because he demanded absolute adherence to the training process. He wasn’t and isn’t a very nice guy. And I thank the Dharma source every day that he was so difficult, because that is what I needed. If you have very heavy karma around your opinions and you have never been able to keep your mouth shut, do you want someone who makes you feel good? If that is what you genuinely desire, then you certainly don’t want to be involved with any authentic Zen teacher.

Some of the newer students sometimes say that they need more “face–time” with the Zen Master. Real students practice—they practice even when they have no teacher. Having a large Sangha or a smaller Sangha isn’t the central issue. What truly matters is how many of the students in the Sangha are willing to take the necessary vow with the teacher. Original cause and resultant effect always become perfectly clear! Your evil tongue will lead you to ruin. You must keep the stopper in the bottle!

Zen Master Robert Moore
79th Patriarch