Zen Master Seung Sahn: “You want most of all to attain enlightenment. And you don't know what in the world you'll do with it. That not knowing is your true self. As long as you keep the desire to attain enlightenment, you'll never attain. But desire brings you here to sit Zen. So come and sit. That is a first step.”

Many of us are looking for understanding, enlightenment, and that is really a good reason to practice zen. But what would we do with enlightenment? And how to achieve it?
Here is a conversation about enlightenment between the founder of our school, Zen Master Seung Sahn, and a student.

Zen Master Seung Sahn: Let me ask you this: If you could do anything your heart desires, what would you want to do most of all?
Student: Get enlightened.
Zen Master Seung Sahn: And after you get enlightened, what will you do then?
Student: I don't know.
Zen Master Seung Sahn: You want most of all to attain enlightenment. And you don't know what in the world you'll do with it. That not knowing is your true self. As long as you keep the desire to attain enlightenment, you'll never attain. But desire brings you here to sit Zen. So come and sit. That is a first step.