1983 - Guillermo (Willy) Echanique

Finding My Teacher

In 1983, I was practicing Soto Zen at a zendo on Riverside Drive in Manhattan. My meditation method was counting the breaths. I applied myself diligently, yet the practice felt strained and distant from what I was truly seeking.

I had read Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki, Manual of Zen Buddhism by D. T. Suzuki, and books by Alan Watts, among many others. I longed for enlightenment and was actively searching for a teacher I could follow.

That summer, I learned about the Chogye International Zen Center of New York, located at 39 East 31st Street. I went to see it for myself. The four-story building housed a Chinese or sushi restaurant on the ground floor. At the door, I was greeted by a student named Stephen.

“You are in luck,” he said. “The Zen Master is here.”

He turned and walked upstairs, expecting me to follow. Instead, I stood frozen. The idea of meeting a living Zen Master intimidated me completely. Noticing I was not behind him, Stephen turned and gestured for me to come along. I followed.

We entered a living room where a television was blaring. Several students were sitting casually. Across from the TV, on a couch, sat Seung Sahn. He was eating from a bowl, a newspaper spread on the floor at his feet.

Stephen introduced me. “This is Willy.”

The Zen Master looked directly at me and asked in a gruff voice, “What is your practice?”

“I count my breaths,” I replied.

He asked, “When you are running for the bus, where is your breath?”

I was stunned. The question caught me completely off guard. “I don’t know,” I finally said.

“Keep that ‘don’t know,’” he commanded.

In that moment, I knew I had found my teacher and my school.

A few years later, around 1986, the building was sold and the Center moved to an apartment on West 17th Street. Our daily practice consisted of 108 bows, chanting, and sitting. The early morning chanting drew complaints from neighbors, and Zen Master Seung Sahn adjusted the schedule to bows, sitting, and lastly chanting—essentially the form we continue today that makes for good neighbors. 

In 1987,  the Center established its long-term home on East 14th Street and First Avenue, Apartment 2E. It later expanded into the apartment across the hall, forming its current configuration at 400 East 14th Street, Apartment 2D.

Through each relocation, the essence of practice remained unchanged. I have attended year after year, continuing to follow Zen Master Seung Sahn’s teaching. I am no longer seeking enlightenment. Practice itself is sufficient.