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traditions. But everything I read made it seem like We use the question What am I? as a tool to return
someone else had the answers, someone else was the to our original “don’t-know mind.” Why return to it?
expert, and that I could never truly understand the truth Because “don’t-know” means letting go of judgments
of human existence for myself. and opinions. And without judgments and opinions, we
can respond directly to reality—not our ideas about
Then someone told me about the head temple of the reality. When we do that, we function with all things
Kwan Um School of Zen in Providence, Rhode Island. It instead of against them.
was led by a Korean Zen master named Seung Sahn. He
taught unusual but striking things—like “You must wash Functioning with all things means unity. And unity means
your mind with ‘don’t know’ soap,” and that “this body is we don’t create suffering for ourselves or others. So, if we
just a rented car.” That intrigued me. can live based on what we see, hear, and feel—rather than
what we think—there’s much less suffering for everyone.
So I visited the temple, sat in meditation with others, and
met some of the teachers authorized by Zen Master Seung Zen Master Seung Sahn taught that Zen is not only
Sahn. I asked them big questions—What is the point of about personal enlightenment but also about helping
life? How should I live?—and they told me: “I could tell all beings. And in fact, helping all beings is personal
you, but you wouldn’t believe me. You have to find out enlightenment. When you clearly see the world as it is,
for yourself.” That made sense to me. Zen Buddhism, you realize you don’t need anything for yourself. Why?
especially in this tradition, offers a kind of technology— Because you already have everything.
not to believe answers, but to experience them directly.
We don’t just think or talk about the question, “What True to the Bodhisattva spirit, Master Seung Sahn
am I?”—we experience the answer through meditation. emphasized that Zen is not just about personal
And if I can sincerely answer that question, it tells me enlightenment, but also about helping others. In
everything I need to know about how to live. today’s complex world, how can we genuinely help—
especially when others may not seem to want or
One of Zen Master Seung Sahn’s most well-known need our help?
teachings is the importance of cultivating a “don’t-
know mind.” In contrast to our usual desire to know A “don’t-know mind” doesn’t necessarily lead to
and understand, what exactly is “don’t-know mind,” happiness. It leads to “don’t know.” And in that
and why is it something we should develop? space, when happiness appears, no problem. When
unhappiness appears, also no problem. We don’t judge
A “Don’t-know mind” isn’t something we need to one as better than the other. Whatever appears, we can
cultivate—because it’s already what we are. Our original use it to help. So whether we’re happy or sad, we can
mind already does not know. So instead of cultivating function with the world. That’s real freedom.
something new, we return to what is already there.
Meditation helps us do that. It’s not about stopping our To cultivate this in daily life, meditation is key—maybe
thoughts. It’s about developing a correct relationship sit for 30 minutes in the morning and again at night.
with our thinking. We begin to see that thoughts are not Throughout the day, return to your breath and ask, What
the truth—they’re just thoughts. The truth is what we am I? Don’t know.
can see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and directly experience.
To cut through our thoughts, opinions, and judgments is As for helping others in today’s complicated world? Just
to return to “don’t-know.” So we’re not creating a “don’t- don’t make it more complicated. Keep a “don’t-know
know mind,” we’re uncovering it. mind.” If someone is hungry, feed them. If someone is
thirsty, give them something to drink. It’s not complex—
It’s said that a “don’t-know mind” can lead to just help. It’s that simple.
happiness for both oneself and others. So how can
we return to this mind in our daily lives?