Enough-mind fish never touches the hook

Seung Sahn

Different Zen traditions and schools sometimes use different kong-ans.

But inside, their teaching is always the same.

How do we use the kong-an to wake up and help this world?

That is the most important part of kong-an practice.

So, some kong-ans' speech is correct and some is not correct.

Zen masters always use words and speech freely to lay traps for their students' thinking minds.

It is like putting a worm on a fish hook.

If a fish is too hungry, he swallows the whole worm and is caught by the hook!

But if the Zen student has just enough mind - if their mind is clear and they are not attached to their thinking - then they can get the worm and not be caught by the hook.

So this is why we say, "Enough-mind fish never touches the hook.
The Compass of Zen
Tagi: ~korea, #zen