Return

A monk from Silla visited Zen Master Doeung and asked:

“What is it that makes it so difficult to explain?”

The master replied,

“What is so difficult?”

The monk continued:

“Then please, Master, tell me quickly. I am deeply frustrated.”

The master answered:

“You are from Silla.”

Why is it so difficult to explain?

What is this “true world” that is so hard to describe with words or understand with hearing?
What is the nature of enlightenment that makes it so difficult to grasp?

The master answered:

“What is so difficult about it? Why do you think it’s so hard? It only feels difficult because of the world of your thoughts.
It is difficult because you are trying to grasp the true world from within the shadow world.
How can you contain the reflection in the mirror within the mirror itself?
It is not difficult. I could explain it simply.”

These words were bait—a deliberate and profound prompt.

The monk from Silla was struck with clarity.

The Monk’s Plea

“Please tell me quickly. I am deeply frustrated.”

This monk had been searching for a long time. He had traveled a great distance from Silla to find the answer to his unrelenting question.
Like Hyecho journeying to India in search of enlightenment or Xuanzang risking his life to bring back the Buddhist scriptures,
this monk had endured hardships and come to China to meet the renowned Zen master, Doeung.

His plea, filled with a deep yearning and urgency, was heart-wrenching.
His chest felt heavy with frustration, and he eagerly awaited an answer. Thus, he asked urgently:

“I am deeply frustrated. Please tell me quickly.”

The Master’s Answer

The master’s unexpected reply was this:

“You are from Silla.”

What he meant was this: the place you left behind, the very place you have been searching for, is none other than yourself.

The Journey Back

We are constantly departing, yet also endlessly returning to the place we left behind.
We must return. The journey that began from within ourselves must ultimately lead back to ourselves.
We must return to the world as it was before the journey began.