After the talk, Sunim took a group picture with the volunteers who helped prepare for the event.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Bad Things Happen To Good People. I Can\u2019t Seem To Get Past The Bad Things That Others Have Done To Me. How Do I Let These Actions Go And Find Peace?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"bad-things-happen-to-good-people-i-cant-seem-to-get-past-the-bad-things-that-others-have-done-to-me-how-do-i-let-these-actions-go-and-find-peace","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-01 23:14:44","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-02 04:14:44","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19411","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19343,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-05-28 14:39:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-28 19:39:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Since we have been given the gift of life, we should make it beautiful. However, we trap ourselves in the perceptions we have created with our thoughts and make ourselves miserable. I encourage people to think positive thoughts such as \u201cMy husband is a good person.\u201d or \u201cMy wife is a good person.\u201d According to the teachings of the Buddha, there is no such thing as a good or a bad person, but if people are going to form perceptions, they would be better off having positive ones. Likewise, if they are going to have dreams, it\u2019s better to have a good dream than a nightmare. In sum, if you are positive, you will become happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have formed any negative perceptions in your mind, you should try to get rid of it. To do so, you need to repent and aspire to form positive perceptions. That is why I advise people to have positive thoughts such as \u201cMy husband is a good person.\u201d or \u201cMy wife is a good person.\u201d People should always have positive thoughts in their everyday lives, but it\u2019s not easy, especially at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, we should constantly reflect on the state of our minds, so we can let go of any hatred we are holding on to. In addition, we must become aware of any mistakes we have made unconsciously, repent, and vow never to make the same mistakes again. When we continue to do this, we will one day find ourselves changed and happy. When we consciously monitor our perception based on rationality, our destinies will gradually change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we disapprove of someone, we feel miserable, but when we begin praying and manage to let go of our obsession over that person, we become happy. However, that happy state doesn\u2019t last long because when we notice our husband or our children changing a little in a positive direction, our expectations increase. Rather than focusing on changing ourselves, we wish for other people to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we notice a member of our family unexpectedly begin to change for the better, we appreciate it, but at the same time, we also become greedy and think that if we pray a little harder, they will show even more improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if they don\u2019t change any more despite our earnest prayers, we become frustrated. It\u2019s true we feel happy when our husbands or children or friends change for the better, but it\u2019s dangerous to make that our source of happiness. Whether they change or not is their business. In order to become truly free, we should focus on our own practice regardless of their change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The change in people around you is only a very small effect of your practice. Therefore, when you regard their change as a miracle and focus on changing them, you will become miserable. This is not to say that it\u2019s better for those around you not to change. In fact, it\u2019s none of our business whether they change or not. If they change, it\u2019s good for them, and if they don\u2019t, it\u2019s their problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your happiness can be constant when you are not affected by whether others change or not. It\u2019s a good thing that your husband or children change for the better, but you should not think it happened as a result of your prayers. You should just be thankful rather than be happy for any improvements. Instead of thinking, \u201cI am so happy that my husband has changed.\u201d you should think, \u201cI am so thankful that my husband is happy.\u201d If your happiness depends on the behavior of others, you may fall back into misery according to their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must focus on your own practice to be strong and calm even when you are struck by a disaster or hit by tragedies, such as the death of a loved one or your child getting into an accident. An accident can be resolved, an illness can be treated, and death can be accepted. Your mind should remain stable at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you are affected by things that happen around you and constantly think about the reason that you like or don\u2019t like something, you will never be free from suffering. You can become truly free if you continue to cultivate your mind regardless of the things that happen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, you can become more free tomorrow than today and become happier tomorrow compared to today. No matter what your family members may have done, they have their own lives. Regardless of how you may have lived until now, you must become happy first and foremost in the midst of everything. As you continue to cultivate your mind, you will wake up one morning and experience a whole different world. Thus, the Buddha once said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if a man fighting alone wins a thousand battles, winning against himself is far more glorious. A man who conquers himself is the wisest and is called a hero among heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we love and understand others, we feel lighthearted and happy. When we help and take care of others, we are the adults and the owners of our own destinies. It is a way that will make us beautiful, more so than wearing pretty clothes or having high positions in society. Then, we lead lives that are dignified and peaceful, and colored as beautifully as fall foliage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path of truth leads us to freedom and happiness. The path must be beneficial to us and others in the present and in the future. A path which benefits only us and not others or only others and not us is not sustainable. If we do something that only benefits us and is detrimental to others, we will have to deal with the consequences later in life. If we sacrifice ourselves to benefit others, we won\u2019t be able to keep doing it for a long time. Consequently, in order to have sustainable happiness, we must choose a path that is beneficial to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you make a choice that is good for now but may be harmful later, you will regret it. On the other hand, if you decide to do something that is good for the future but bad for you now, you will have a hard time doing it and be miserable. Therefore, you must choose a path that is good for both the present and the future. I hope you fully enjoy a sustainable happiness on the path of truth that is beneficial to you and others in the present and the future.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness Should Begin With Me","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-should-begin-with-me","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-26 14:46:39","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-26 19:46:39","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19343","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19179,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-05-21 13:10:21","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-21 18:10:21","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> In the spring, all kinds of beautiful flowers bloom everywhere in the mountains and the fields. Not only are the flowers beautiful, but the newly budding leaves are also very beautiful. Spring sprouts flourish over the summer, turn into warm colors in the autumn, and eventually wither and fall off the branches. Looking at this natural process, many people say, \"Falling autumn leaves look so forlorn.\" However, are the falling leaves really forlorn? No, they are not. Those who are looking at the falling leaves are the ones who are feeling sad. Looking at the withered leaves, people feel sad about getting old, thinking to themselves, \"My radiant youth is withering away like those leaves.\" Are only spring flowers and budding sprouts beautiful? Colored foliage is also very beautiful. Just like we take the time to go to see spring flowers in the spring, we also go to see the colorful foliage in the fall. No matter how pretty a flower, people won\u2019t pick up a fallen flower from the ground to keep. However, they will pick up a beautifully colored autumn leaf to keep in between the pages of a book for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In life, we are born, grow up, and grow old. If we grow old like beautifully colored fall foliage, aging won\u2019t be such a bad thing. If we age naturally, the way nature changes, we will already be at peace with ourselves. What should we do in order to age as beautifully as autumn foliage? We must let go of our strong desire to stay young and calmly accept growing old. We should simply adapt to the changes without even the thought, \"I should age gracefully.\" We should view becoming old \u2013 getting sick, hair becoming gray, getting wrinkles, and even our legs aching \u2013 as a natural process. Usually, a person who has accepted his given situation has a very peaceful demeanor. Looking at this person, people may think, \"That person is very bright and confident despite his age.\" Such a person can be regarded as aging beautifully like a dazzling colored autumn leaf. Therefore, growing old is not pathetic or miserable but simply natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to age like a beautifully colored autumn leaf, one should be cautious of any \"excessiveness.\" There are many undesirable side effects when people give in to excessiveness in their old age. Although it is relatively easy for the young to recover from excessiveness, it is very hard for the elderly to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, the elderly should not overeat. If young people overeat, they can easily recover by taking digestive pills. However, as people get older their digestive abilities weaken so when the elderly overeat, they are likely to get sick. Therefore, no matter how delicious the food may be, they must not overeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, the elderly should not overdrink. When young people drink so much that they cannot walk straight, they will usually recover in a day or two. However, when the elderly overdrink, their health will likely deteriorate significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirdly, the elderly should not overwork. When young people overwork, they will recover quickly after getting some rest. However, when the elderly overwork, they usually have difficulty recovering. This is not to say that the elderly shouldn\u2019t do anything. They should stay active to the extent that they don\u2019t overly tax their bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people grow old, they should not do anything to excess or be greedy as they were in their youth. When young people actively try out different jobs, people will praise them for being brave and motivated. Also, when young people try to do something out of greed, people refer to them as being ambitious. However, if the elderly do the same, people will say they are being greedy in their old age. Moreover, people think well of young people voicing their opinions strongly. The elderly, however, are better off expressing their opinions peacefully and calmly for their own sake and that of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As people grow old, they should try to organize their affairs and wrap things up one by one rather than starting a new business or project. This doesn't mean that they should give up on life. However, since they are at an age comparable to when trees are bearing fruit and require trimming of small branches, they should wrap things up appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, instead of lamenting over getting old and trying to regain their youth, people should be able to calmly view themselves and accept that they are aging like the leaves that are gradually taking on their fall colors. Then, they will be able to let go of their greed naturally little by little.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Colorful Fall Foliage Is More Beautiful Than Spring Flowers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"colorful-fall-foliage-is-more-beautiful-than-spring-flowers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-12 13:18:39","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-12 18:18:39","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19179","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19174,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-05-14 01:02:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-14 06:02:00","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: \u201cI still have lingering emotions such as misunderstanding, hatred, agony, and anger towards my wife.\u201d This is a story of a man who was in the process of getting a divorce. He said that he was calmer than when he first decided to get divorced, but he still had negative feelings towards his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple may end up getting a divorce. It\u2019s not important whether one gets divorced or not. What\u2019s important is for people to reflect on themselves and the reasons for getting divorced. That way, they will not repeat the mistakes in future relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest reason behind marital conflict is that both the husband and wife insist they are right. When the wife says to her husband, \u201cYou\u2019re stubborn.\u201d he does not realize that he is being stubborn. He believes that he is right, so he responds \u201cI\u2019m not being stubborn, I am just expressing my thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the wife says \u201cYou get angry and irritated very easily.\u201d the husband will generally retort, \u201cWhy do you think I get angry? When did I get irritated? I got angry because you got angry.\u201d People usually don\u2019t realize how they are expressing their emotions and how they are acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the wife of the man who is in the process of getting a divorce were asked, \u201cIs your husband understanding or opinionated?\u201d She would probably answer, \u201cHe is very opinionated.\u201d If she were asked, \u201cIs your husband selfish or devoted?\u201d She would probably respond that he is selfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you are very different. Of course, we cannot be definitive about which perspective is a more objective. However, it is safe to say other people\u2019s perception of you is usually more objective than your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my book, Words of Wisdom for Newlyweds, I wrote that people become miserable when they are in a relationship because they want to benefit from the other person. Wanting to benefit from the other person is not necessarily a bad thing. However, people should know that according to the law of cause and effect, when you gain something from others, you must pay it back sooner or later. When you borrow money from others, you can spend more than what you earn. Later, however, you must face the consequence of having to pay back the money. If we benefit from others, they will see it as a loss and demand something in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you need to either abandon the intention of benefiting from others or recognize, \u2018\u201cI\u2019m trying to benefit from someone.\u201d When you\u2019re being stubborn, become aware, \u201cI am being stubborn. If I continue being obstinate, that person will become frustrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to be aware of your actions and feelings. Then, when your spouse says, \u201cYou are selfish.\u201d you can calmly acknowledge his or her opinion and say, \u201cYeah, I am pretty selfish.\u201d. This makes communication possible. You can still communicate with your spouse even if you are not able to get rid of selfishness and stubbornness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are completely unaware that you are being selfish or stubborn, when your spouse says, \u201cYou\u2019re selfish\u201d you may retort, \u201cAm I the only one who is selfish? Aren\u2019t you selfish too?\u201d or snap angrily, \u201cWhat do you mean I am selfish?\u201d In the same vein, when your spouse says, \u201cYou are stubborn.\u201d you may react by either saying \u201cWhat do you mean I am stubborn?\u201d or \u201cAren\u2019t you stubborn too?\u201d If you react this way you won\u2019t be able to communicate with your spouse and end up hurting your spouse as well as yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All human beings are selfish. If we accept this fact and admit to our selfishness, we will be able to communicate well with others. For example, we usually call someone when we need some kind of help from that person. Nine out of ten phone calls, if not ten out of ten, are made to make inquiries or ask for something. We rarely call someone to simply ask, \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d or \u201cIs there anything I can help with?\u201d If we accept this fact, we can take it in stride when someone calls and asks for a favor. However, we tend to complain, \u201cHe only calls when he needs something.\u201d This can lead to conflict. Thus, if we accept that we are also selfish, we will stop condemning others for being selfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone calls you to ask for help and you are able to help him with whatever he needs, he will appreciate it. While it is tiresome when people ask for help, the fact that you are called on to help means that you are more capable and in a better position than those who request help. If you get irritated when someone asks for help, you won\u2019t be able to utilize your capabilities. In this regard, you shouldn\u2019t consider phone calls or requests for help tiresome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t always have to be devoted and compliant in order to communicate with others. Simply being aware of your selfishness will enable you to communicate well. It may seem to a husband that his wife is the problem, being selfish and stubborn. However, the fact is, the wife also feels the same way about her husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision to get divorced or not is up to this man, but he should not hate his wife. The man will find that after he divorces his wife, she will likely meet a man who loves her as she is, and he himself will find a woman who loves him as he is. He must realize that his wife is neither good nor bad. He felt negative emotions towards his wife because she did not meet his demands. Therefore, the wife herself is not the problem, but rather his negative emotions towards unmet demands or expectations. So, even if the man chooses to get a divorce, it is important not to make the past into a hurtful memory by hating his wife. He should not hate her regardless of whether he stays in the marriage or not. If he hates her, the time he spent married to his wife will become a wasted part of his life. Therefore, even if he decides to get divorced, he needs to give prayers of repentance and thanks towards his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it weren\u2019t for his wife, the man could still be unmarried and living alone. Thanks to her, he wasn\u2019t lonely. Getting divorced is not the end of the world since he can get married again. Also, he can regard the time he lived with her as simply one of his life experiences. If he hates his wife, the time they were together will remain a wound, but if he feels thankful to her, the marriage will become an experience and an asset in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only when the man values all of his life up to this moment, including his marriage, will he be able to enjoy the rest of his life whether he remarries or not. However, if his marriage remains a wound, it may color his future relationships with women. If a woman he is interested in shows a slight similarity in behavior or disposition to those of his ex-wife, he will become fearful of having the same problems again, and this may have a negative effect on his future relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you go through a break-up, you may seem to be okay on the surface, but you may be wounded in your subconscious. There are two ways to cure yourself. One way is to repent towards your spouse with the thought, \u201cYou must have gone through a lot being married to me. I am really sorry.\u201d The other is being thankful towards your spouse.: \u201cThank you for staying married to me for three years. It was a good experience in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After much prayer, when repentance and gratitude truly resonate with your heart, the wounds will be healed. Only then, will you not repeat the same mistakes in the future. It is best to shake off the past with prayers of repentance and gratitude and to prepare for a new life with hope.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Break Up Without Leaving Regrets Or Wounds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-break-up-without-leaving-regrets-or-wounds","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-12 13:09:48","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-12 18:09:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19174","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18808,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-05-07 11:50:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-07 16:50:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: In the past, people aged sixty and up were considered to be senior citizens. Therefore, the retirement age was set at sixty years old. However, the 60-year-olds of today are as healthy as the 50-year-olds of a few decades ago. Since people are now healthier and have a higher life expectancy, it may be necessary to increase the retirement age by about 10 years. However, there is a condition. Since there is already a shortage of jobs, there will be fewer jobs for young people if the retirement age is pushed up, so job sharing is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say that someone is 58 years old and has reached the retirement age at his company and his monthly salary is $5,000. If the company were to raise the retirement age but were to pay the same salary, it would have to bear a bigger financial burden and be unable to hire many new employees. Moreover, as employees become older, they acquire wisdom and experience but inevitably lag behind in their pace of work and technological expertise. In this case, it is possible for the company to continue benefiting from the experience and accumulated knowledge of the older employees by keeping them employed but at a lower position and salary. In other words, if the person at retirement age is the head of a department, he could hand over his position to a junior employee and take the role of an advisor or a member of the guidance committee with a lower salary of $3,000. When he reaches 70, he could further reduce his work hours and work only three days per week with a monthly salary of $2,000. This way the company can effectively utilize his skills and experience without too much financial burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As people grow older, they should let go of their stereotypes about different jobs. A person may work as a security guard after retiring from a position as the head of a department. When our society teaches that all occupations are equally valuable, people may respect an ex-CEO all the more when he retires and works as a security guard at the same company, not look down on him. Likewise, a retired school principal, instead idling his time away, may volunteer in assisting young teachers with class preparations or teach a class once a week. If we can distribute work appropriately, lowering the wages and work hours for certain positions, we can create a system which helps older workers stay employed and make some money without overworking themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s society, elderly people are treated as if they cannot do anything, but if you look around, there is plenty of work for them to do. In our Jungto practitioners\u2019 community, we see that when young people make kimchi or bean paste, it lacks flavor, but when the older ladies make it, it is delicious. Since the physical labor that goes into making these foods is too taxing for the older practitioners they can divide the work with the younger practitioners and work in harmony as a team. When young people do the heavy lifting and older people offer advice on combining the condiments or salting cabbages, the job can be completed in a very efficient manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even at a farm, all the produce like lettuce and cabbages seem to flourish in the hands of older people but do not do so well under the care of younger people. Therefore, if the older people plant the seeds and tend to the crop while the younger people undertake the more laborious tasks, they can achieve harmony. When people can work this way, even people in their eighties are able to play a significant role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you travel to the countryside, you will see old men working like strong young men. When people are young, working in the city looks sophisticated and farming in the countryside seems outdated. However, those who work in the city are forced to retire at a relatively young age while there is no such thing as retirement for farmers even if they reach their seventies. Farmers can keep working as much as they are able to. Therefore, instead of relying on their children in their old age, they are able to send their children the produce they farmed even in their eighties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As people get older, they stay vibrant when they keep active and stay useful. Older people in poor and destitute countries who have to keep working have eyes that are full of life, whereas those of people in the U.S who sit leisurely on park benches or rocking chairs do not have that same vigor and liveliness. Living in physical comfort with nothing much to do is not necessarily a good thing. Rather, it is beneficial for the mind and body to keep active whether it is by weeding in the field or cleaning the house.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Working In Old Age","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"working-in-old-age","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 11:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 16:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18808","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};