What is Zen? 禅是什么？
 
Zen is very simple... What are you?
 
In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobody understands their true self inside.
 
Everybody says, “I”—“I want this, I am like that...” But nobody understands this “I.” Before you were born, where did your I come from? When you die, where will your I go? If you sincerely ask, “What am I?” sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this “don’t know.”
 
Zen is keeping this “don’t know” mind always and everywhere.
 
      When walking, standing, sitting, lying down,
      speaking, being silent, moving, being still.
      At all times, in all places,
      without interruption — what is this?
      One moment is infinite kalpas.
 
Meditation in Zen means keeping don’t-know mind when bowing, chanting and sitting Zen. This is formal Zen practice. And when doing something, just do it. When driving, just drive; when eating, just eat; when working, just work.
 
Finally, your don’t-know mind will become clear. Then you can see the sky, only blue. You can see the tree, only green. Your mind is like a clear mirror. Red comes, the mirror is red; white comes the mirror is white. A hungry person comes, you can give him food; a thirsty person comes, you can give her something to drink. There is no desire for myself, only for all beings. That mind is already enlightenment, what we call Great Love, Great Compassion, the Great Bodhisattva Way. It’s very simple, not difficult!
 
So Buddha said that all beings have Buddha-nature (enlightenment nature). But Zen Master Joju said that a dog has no Buddha-nature. Which one is right? Which one is wrong? If you find that, you find the true way.
 

 
禪，非常簡單…你是甚么？
 
在這個世界上，所有的人都向外尋求快樂。但是，沒有人了解他們內在的自性。
 
每個人都說：“我”──“我要這個，我就像那樣…”但是，沒有人了解這個“我”。你出生之前，你的我從哪裡來？你死的時候， 你的我往哪裡去？如果你誠懇的問：“我是甚么？”久而久之，你會有如碰到牆壁一樣，一切思惟都被切斷。我們稱這種狀 態為“不知”。
 
禪就是於一切時、一切處，保持這個“不知”的心。
  　　
      行住坐臥，語默動靜， 　　
      一切時，一切處， 　　
      無間斷，是甚么？ 　　
      一念即是無量劫。
 
禪修就是在禮佛、誦經和坐禪的時候，保持不知的心。這是正式的禪修。在做事的時候，只是去做。駕車時，只是駕車。 吃飯時，只是吃飯。工作時，只是工作。
 
最終，你的不知的心會變得清明。然後你看天空，只是藍色，你看樹木，只是綠色。你的心像一面清明的鏡子，紅的來， 鏡子呈現紅色，白的來，呈現白色。飢餓的人，你給他食物，口渴的人來，你給他飲料。自己沒有慾望，只為所有眾生。 那個心已是覺悟，也就是大慈大悲大菩薩道。非常簡單，不困難！
 
佛說一切眾生皆有佛性（覺性），但是，趙州禪師說狗沒有佛性。誰對？誰錯？如果你找到它，你就找到正道。