Investigating the Live Word

Text

Seosan held that the Seon practitioner takes up a single hwadu — most commonly Zhaozhou's 'Mu' or 'What is this?' (이뭣고, imwŏtgo) — and pursues it with the whole body and breath, not the analytical mind. The 'live word' (活句) is the phrase that cannot be reasoned about; the 'dead word' (死句) is the phrase one explains. 'Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, only investigate the live word. Do not let it drop for an instant.' Doubt that gathers and intensifies until the practitioner is one mass of doubt — that, for Seosan, is the only practice. When that single doubt shatters of its own accord, the original face is seen; until then, sustain it.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial paraphrase, after Boep Joeng / Hyon Gak translations

license: cc_by

Attribution

• Speaker
  Seosan Hyujeong

Lineage: Seon

By Seosan Hyujeong

• Hold the Phrase Like a Mosquito Biting Ironproverb
• Three Bodies, One Swordproverb
• Warrior-Monkproverb
• Three Religions, One Mindproverb
• An Empty Templeproverb

Sources

• contentSŏn'ga kwigam 禪家龜鑑 (Mirror of Seon)

  Seosan Hyujeong

  Sŏn'ga kwigam, sections on hwadu meditation

  Sŏn'ga kwigam (Mirror of Seon): Investigating the Live Word