Zen Master Man Gong built a small temple, Jung Hae Sa, on the mountain above Su Dok Sa, specifically for long retreats. Because the monks at the temple practiced most of the time, there was little money and the monks periodically had to go out to the surrounding villages and ask for food.
But when Ko Bong Sunim went out to get rice, he would then sell it and go out drinking. After he was totally hammered, he would return to the temple and complain, "This temple is no good! Man Gong doesn't understand anything! He's low-class!"
One time Zen Master Man Gong showed up during one of Ko Bong's tirades and screamed at him, "What do you understand?" Ko Bong Sunim was silent.
Man Gong Sunim shouted, "KO BONG!"
"Yes?"
"Why are you always insulting me behind my back?"
Ko Bong looked completely surprised and offended. "Zen Master! I never said anything about you! I was talking about this good-for-nothing Man Gong!"
"Man Gong? What do you mean, Man Gong? I'M Man Gong! What's the difference between Man Gong and me?"
"KAAAATZ!" Ko Bong yelled, loud enough to split everyone's eardrums. That ended it.
"Go sleep it off," Man Gong Sunim said, and he left the room.
Zen Master Seung Sahn commented on this story:
My teacher was always drunk, used abusive speech, and showed disrespectful behavior. But he always kept a clear mind. “Man Gong? What’s the difference between Man Gong and me?” “KAAAATZ!” That katz is very important — better than money or bags of rice. Ko Bong completely believed in himself.
Sounds like Zen Master Man Gong walked right into that one! ^_^
Posted by: Joseph | May 31, 2011 at 04:02 AM
Please enlighten me :)... What does "katz" mean?
Posted by: Kyle | May 31, 2011 at 07:21 AM
Hi Kyle,
"Katz" is a shout that Zen masters (and sometimes students) will give to cut off the discursive processes of the mind. It's like pressing the "Clear" button on a calculator - it makes it possible for something new to appear.
Enlightened now? ;-)
Posted by: Barry Briggs | May 31, 2011 at 07:25 AM
In German "Katz" is the shortened word for cat. Hope it helped ;-)
Posted by: tokumei | May 31, 2011 at 08:05 AM
okay this one is not sinking in right away during my short check here at work. I don't think having a clear mind makes up for disrespectful behaviour and abusive speech, Zen Master or not. I know Zen is about no good or bad, no opposites. But still. Guess I don't embrace that aspect then yet. My issue.
Posted by: jill i | May 31, 2011 at 09:07 AM
Less enlightened than ever, but I appreciate the explanation!
Yeah, how is it that this guy was allowed to live in a monastery and train as a Buddhist monk if he was always going out and getting drunk? I thought part of the monastery deal was not getting drunk?
Posted by: Kyle | June 01, 2011 at 08:25 AM
@Kyle: I see your point. Seung Sahn commented: "Ko Bong completely believed in himself." Do you?
Posted by: tokumei | June 01, 2011 at 10:06 AM