Only Don't Know Book Summary

In 'Only Don't Know,' Seung Sahn, a renowned Zen master, invites readers on a transformative journey into the heart of Zen Buddhism. With profound simplicity, he challenges the conventions of knowledge and emphasizes the importance of not-knowing as a path to enlightenment. Through engaging anecdotes and practical teachings, Sahn illustrates how embracing uncertainty can lead to true understanding. The book encourages readers to shed their preconceived notions and explore the richness of the present moment. Prepare to have your perspective shifted and your mind opened in this thought-provoking exploration of Zen philosophy.

By Seung Sahn

Published: 1999

"The only way to truly know is to let go of knowing; in the silence of not-knowing, wisdom unfolds."

Book Review of Only Don't Know

Here is the inimitable Zen Master Seung Sahn up close and personal—in selections from the correspondence that was one of his primary modes of teaching. Seung Sahn received hundreds of letters per month, each of which he answered personally, and some of the best of which are included here. His frank and funny style, familiar to readers of Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, is seen here in a most intimate form. The beloved Zen master not only answers questions on Zen teaching and practice, but applies an enlightened approach to problems with work, relationships, suffering, and the teacher-student relationship.

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The only way to truly know is to let go of knowing; in the silence of not-knowing, wisdom unfolds.

Only Don't Know

By Seung Sahn