When the bell was hit tonight in the course of the Evening Bell Chant, some folks thought, “Uhmm, wonderful… Oh, great!” Other folks thought, “Not loud enough!” Other folks stated, “I wish he’d do it faster!” Somebody else stated, “What’s he doing?”
All of that’s commentary. Don’t-Know means let go of the commentary and simply hear the bell. Simple as that. You and the bell turn into one. Where is the separation?
I imagine I’m right here, and the bell is there. But that’s my concept. Where is the separation between you and the bell? Between you, (ZMBS picks up the stick and hits it on the ground) and that sound? Where do you begin and the sound finish? (Hits the ground once more.) You might have some concept about it, however really, you don’t know. If you simply let that “don’t know” be, then it’s already full. It doesn’t want something extra.
By Zen Master Bon Soeng
