Conversations with Zen Master Wu Bong / Part II

Einmal, in einer offenen Runde, wagte ich mich vor. Wu Bong und einer seiner nahesten Schüler, der kurz vor einer Übertragung stand, ermunterte die Menschen, zu fragen. Ich fragte in etwa: Warum überhaupt ist all diese Anstrengung nötig, die wir Meditierenden unternehmen, um ins Licht zu kommen und das Ego zu dämmen? Welcher Plan und welcher Grund stecke dahinter, dass ein menschliches Leben diesen steinigen Weg gehen müsse, möchte es in die Freiheit treten. Ich erinnerte an die Erklärung in der Bibel, den Sündenfall, Adam und Eva, als einen Urgrund für alles folgende in der Geschichte der Menschheit. Aber ich wollte noch einmal vom Standpunkt des Zen-Meisters eine Begründung hören, worin der Sinn läge dieses unvermeidlichen Weges. Und warum das Erlöstsein nicht unser Grundzustand ist. Zu Beginn der Fragerunde legte Wu Bong im übrigen fest, dass die schwierigen Fragen er seinem Schüler zu beantworten überlasse. So war es dann auch. Ich entsinne mich heute nicht mehr dessen Antwort.

Wu Bong war ein sehr umgänglicher Mensch. Man konnte bedenkenlos an ihn heran treten, auch mit kniffligen Fragen:

Ich schrieb am 18. Juni 2011 an Wu Bong:

Dear esteemed Master of Zen Wu Bong!

With your permission I want to expose to you as short as possible my daily affair as to begin with my question to you:

Where is to be seen the difference between the love one has to (quite unspecific) everyone of the human kind on the one hand and to a very special person out of the human kind on the other?

When I look at wise humans it seems to be obligatory to quit or avoid any close (sexual) relation to a special human in favour of dedicating your love to all other humans. One could deduce that there must be an antagonism between these two kinds of relationships. Either I care for one person or I go on for all. To live on to both ways would bring up problems.

Perhaps it is the question for substantiating the status of the celibacy and its rejecting of exclusive love. In which way the Sangha can take the place of one special person?

What is the heart and soul doing differently on the one way and on the other? Why monks and sages of different spiritual paths fall back from the achieved status of celibacy to the left one of an exclusive relationship?

If I would decide to celibate myself, I want to be sure that I do not do it against someone but for the benefit of all. Not because of my problem with women I decide for celibacy but perhaps for my deep insight into the miserable condition of the human kind and my honest will and matter of my heart of soothing the pain and struggle of the suffering people by offering insight, vision and hope. However, what is it that makes me quitting the exclusive relationship?

My request is not to refer to the latest affair of the couple in the Kwan Um Zen School. Surely it was a starting to bring up the topic more generally that bothers me for longer.

With all my fondest regards to you!

Bastian

(Kwan Um Zen School Berlin)

Wu Bong antwortet am 9. Juli 2011:

Dear Bastian,

thank you for your letter. How are you? Sorry to reply so late. I am on a retreat and it is not often that I check my correspondence.
You ask about love. I personally believe that there is no conflict between love for one special person, and love for all beings. Most people love more than just one person anyway. For example, even when talking about just love for the family, it is a love for many people: parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, children, grandchildren, spouse. In a big family it could be many people who share the love of just one person. Do you see a conflict between love for one's children and love for one's spouse, for example? Same way, I think that it is possible to have a special person in your life, and yet to dedicate your life to all beings.
As for celibacy, it was something that Buddha came up with to prevent monks from siring children because then they would not be able to continue their life as monks. The precepts regarding celibacy were not in place at the beginning of the monk sangha. They came later because of an incident in which a monk impregnated his ex-wife and had to leave the sangha because a baby appeared. At the same time, even without the problem of a possible pregnancy, sexual relations are fraught with many dangers and there is great potential for emotional pain. 
I think that there is no easy formula, and each person has to make some choices. So, I cannot tell you clearly that one way is wrong and one way is right. Zen Master Seung Sahn taught us that more than our action, our intention is important. If the action is for us then it destroys our vows, our direction and our practice. If the action is for others (even if from outside it looks the same as a selfish action) then it supports our direction, our practice, and our vows, and is the Great Way of the Bodhisattva.

In the Dharma,
Wu Bong

Wu Bong starb völlig überraschend am 17. April 2013 an einem Herzstillstand in einer Pause eines Pariser Retreats. An diesem Tag schrieb ich folgendes Gedicht:

einfacher tag durch einen tod

..denn wir lassen uns nieder.

sitzen in den steinen bei blühendem  

gebäum: Eins -

kühler wind, sonnenlicht: dasein

ist hiersein

vogeltänze auf dem tisch

(länger müssen wir bei den toten bleiben)

Gott ist das große ich-weiß-nicht

(in Gedenken an Zen-Meister Wu Bong)

Eines Tages lud ich Wu Bong zum Mittagessen in mein Yoga-Studio ein. Wir gingen die Straße entlang und er fragte mich, wie ich auf jenen Zen-Tempel gestoßen sei. Ich fasste die Frage viel größer auf, als sie war, und versuchte zu erklären, wo ich gerade stand, was ich suchte und was ich mir vom Zen und der akkuraten Meditation versprach. Ich spürte jedoch, meine Antwort war nicht trefflich. Da sagte ich schließlich, wie vom Blitze getroffen: “Durch das Internet!” - Durch die Recherche im Internet stieß ich auf diesen Tempel in meiner Nachbarschaft. Das war die simple Antwort, die Wu Bong erfreute.