NEVER MISS KOAN

Though deluded by brilliant dreams in spite of yourself,
you should change your mind and keep doubting.

When you, feeling your practice is not interesting,
don't know what to do is when you are practicing well.
Brace yourself up and pay all your attention to koan
just as a cat does when it catches mouse.

Water becomes rather silent after boiling once.
When trying to boil water,
you should not stop fanning the flames
but keep fanning with a dashing spirit
until water boils
though you are tempted to give it up
because it is too hard.

Never besitate to continue your practice.
Before long you will meet the moment of Karma
if you keep watching the doubt of koan without missing it.

Then you will pull up what is stuck in the air,
and the fresh feeling through your whole body
will be beyond all comparison.
The leasure of those who don't mind the phenomenal world
you will enjoy on a boat without the bottom.

Written by Master Subul Sunim
of Anguk Zen Center
Translated by Boo Ahm
(Song Soo-kyong)