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In Reverence to Soji Enku Roshi
Translator's Note
Wolfgang Kopp was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1938. In his early years he tread many different paths in search of the truth, such as philosophy, Hinduism, and Tibetan Buddhism. The first time he visited the dojo (meditation hall) of his Zen master, Soji Enku Roshi, he knew instantly that his search was over.
As Soji Enku Roshi's dharma successor, Wolfgang Kopp directs the Tao Ch'an Center in Wiesbaden. He is one of the few genuine Western spiritual masters of our times. His teaching embraces the true mysticism of all ages and cultures, but is especially grounded in the Zen of the ancient Chinese masters of the Tang dynasty, such as Ma-tsu, Pai-chang, Huang-po, and Lin-chi, and in the Christian mysticism of his landsman, Meister Eckhart.
While reading this book you may be struck by the authoritative tone of the author's writing. It is helpful to keep in mind that this authority is bred of the experience of the highest truth and has no other purpose than to direct readers to the ultimate realization of their true self.
As Master Kopp's translator and Zen student, I am grateful for his guidance in assisting me with this work and for the opportunity it has given me to deepen my understanding of Zen. I have done my best to preserve the colorful expressions, sense of humor, and intensity of his writing; and hope that the directness, compassion, and wisdom of his teaching will be felt by all who turn to his words.
Foreword
There are no living beings
that cannot be freed.
— Lin-chi
Interest in Western and Eastern mysticism has grown remarkably in recent years. In these times of spiritual reflection, it is of utmost importance that the way that leads humanity to the direct experience of its true self is clearly conveyed.
This book was written in consideration of the needs of serious spiritual seekers, to disclose to them a safe, albeit radical way to self-knowledge and thus to freedom. Whoever takes this book in hand should understand that it is not meant to be merely read, but instead to be thoroughly contemplated and lived. Only to this end were its contents written, and only in this sense can it be absorbed. This work is not pleasure reading, but a guide to within.
The title of the book, Free Yourself of Everything, originates from a saying of the Chinese Zen master, Huang-po (9th century). The expression, "free yourselves of everything," like Christian mysticism's "die and come into being," constitutes the central thought of this book. The subtitle, Radical Guidance in the Spirit of Zen and Christian Mysticism, refers to the consistent application of this central thought.
It is clear to me that this book is an enormous challenge for the reader's ego-this was intended. The intention was to shake the ego to its very foundation and rouse the reader, so that by becoming completely engaged in the book, the reader may find himself or herself a different person at the end of the reading.
From my own experience, as well as from many years of guiding students, I know that without consistency, progress on the spiritual way is impossible. With this in mind, the present book is addressed to all earnest spiritual seekers who have a sincere longing for consistent, yet safe spiritual guidance.
This book seeks to help find the inner source; its aim is to lead truth-seekers to that extraordinary experience of realization, where book-learning is replaced by experience, knowledge is replaced by the wisdom of the heart, and the belief in a merely conceptual God is replaced by the enlightenment of your own mind.
—Wolfgang Kopp
Wiesbaden, October 1990
Mind is filled with radiant clarity,
so cast away the darkness of your old concepts.
Free yourselves of everything.
—Huang-po
The Universality of the Mind
THE WORLD IS AN ILLUSION
In the darkness of the heart, in our innermost self, shines a radiant light, the very same as the eternal flame that illuminates the entire universe. This, our true being, is the absolute reality underlying all we
