Samu Sunim's talk on Buddhism & World Peace (2 of 2)

In this concluding segment of a talk on Buddhism and world peace, Zen Master Samu Sunim shares a profound parable about the journey of enlightenment through a series of nine pictures symbolizing stages of awakening. The story follows a monk’s quest to find the 'ox'—a metaphor for one's true nature—through deep meditation and inner transformation. After years of solitary practice in the mountains, he encounters an enigmatic old man who leads him to a mysterious temple, only to be rejected and expelled, revealing the illusion of external attainment. When the temple and the old man vanish, the monk experiences a sudden awakening: the realization that enlightenment is not found in external forms or places, but in the present moment. He returns to the monastery, where, during the intense, meditative labor of making red bean porridge, he sees Bodhisattva Manjushri emerge from a boiling pot. In a striking moment of non-duality, he slaps the Bodhisattva, declaring he no longer needs any external savior—because the Buddha is within. The episode closes with a reflection on peace not as absence of conflict, but as a deep, silent presence in everyday practice.