Dennis Wholey interviews Hyon Gak Sunim - Part 3 of 3

Dennis Wholey interview about Zen beliefs and practices with Hyon Gak Sunim in Seoul, Korea.

Venerable Hyon Gak Sunim - was born Paul Muenzen in 1964 to a family of devout Catholics in New Jersey, U.S.A. His mother is a PhD in biochemistry, and his father was an executive at a prominent American computer company, and later founded his own company. He has eight brothers and sisters.

He is currently the Head Teacher of the Zen hall at 500 year-old Hwa Gye Sah Temple in the Sam Gak Sahn Mountain range, outside Seoul, South Korea. In August 2001, he received inka by Zen Master Seung Sahn the 78th Patriarch in a lineage stretching back to Shakyamuni Buddha.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• zen
• buddhism
• kwan
• um
• seung
• sahn
• korean
• enlightenment
• buddhist
• meditation
• monk

[kyungsun1009]

Thanks a lot, Hyon Gak Sunim, for your passionate explanation about life in the point of Buddhism. I watched all list of your vedio on youtube. I have started studying what I am rather than who I am. since that , I have so many questions significant or not. A question is why monks shave their head.

[LeeKwangEng]

Who am I?

Jesus: "I am the road, the truth, the life, no body will enter the kindom of God without going through me"

Left styled pointing finger! "I" am the answer, to all questions. "I" am.

[dtseringdorje]

Hyon Gak Sunim, wonderful! But you opened your mouth and I must hit your mouth 30 times. You must keep your mouth closed, guard your sences and your Life is always full. Open your mouth, always be busy and your Life is beyond hope. Old Manjusri would say: "Keen Eyed Lion and Blind Dog speak together. Enlightenment and Ignorance seem the same." OK. What flowers, food, book, movie, TV program, music, drink, cake, icecream do you like? Easy answere, isn't it? Everyday Life is the Way. Buddhahood.

[mettacintena]

Very good interview! I got ...

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[GregoryWonderwheel]

It is very interesting that Hyon Gak Sunim refers to Jesus so often. He says he grew up in a devout Catholic family and it seems he is hyper aware that he is speaking to a Christian audience and wants to build a bridge between the cultures and frames.

[EndureTemptation]

Hyon Gak Sunim is developed rather effective way of speaking. I had a chance to attend his lecture and he, I think, carried a good examples to our minds what realy wake state is by hitting his wooden stick on a table silence following. Don't know how other people, without previous exposure to buddhism tradition and techings, have received it, since I already had some.

He might seem quite excentric at times, probably.

[ravkes]

Only 'don't know'..

Such freedom..

Only this, now. Welcome.

[menderfire9]

I love this video! II went from Christian studies to Tao, to Hindu, to Islam, to many forms of Buddhism, and they all point to the same bottom-line-spiritual truths! Wow! Who would have thought! I became a Baha'i because Baha'i embraces the bottom-line of all and we celebrate with all! And celebration together is peace. So now I have it all. I feel full. You are beautiful, so beautiful! Namaste!

[aeolaus]

Great video. Did Dennis say 'Namaste' at the end? Bizarre.