On Saturday, January 1, 2022, which marks the 62nd day of the 10-7 1000-Day Practice, 28 practitioners in the North America Chapter practiced together online. They were divided into two groups, with 15 practitioners joining the East Coast Google Meet and 13 practitioners joining the West Coast Google Meet at their respective time zones. The event included the bell ceremony, chanting, practice, prayer reading, and listening to the New Year’s Dharma talk. Afterwards, the practitioners had a sharing session, which enabled them to happily welcome the New Year’s Day. The practitioners reminded themselves to continue to practice every day with a fresh mindset like they did on the New Year’d Day.
Sharing by Sun Hee Lim:
I am thankful that I got a chance to learn about the Buddha’s teachings. The teaching to “focus on self-awareness, self-control, and self-determination” resonated with me. I will be mindful of this teaching. I feel calm and grateful for everything.
New Year’s Meeting of the North America Chapter
Thirty Dharma volunteers participated in the weekly Dharma meeting via zoom and then took part in the New Year’s Meeting of the North America Chapte via Google Meet. The New Year’s meeting was hosted by the North America Chapter Head Geumyi Lim, who showed a presentation about all the events and activities that took place during the past 3 months. The Dharma volunteers felt proud of all the things they accomplished together. After words of blessing by the Dharma Teacher Hyomyung and words of encouragement by the International Division Head Soon Young Kim, members of the Global Dharma Volunteer Group introduced themselves and talked about their activities. The meeting helped the participants to renew their goal of actively spreading the Buddha’s teachings to the world in 2022.
Words of Blessing by Dharma Teacher Hyomyung
Jungto practitioners should perform good deeds for the world, but their most important goal is to become free and happy themselves. I hope you live as masters of your own lives and are relaxed when you rest and happy when working. Our goal is to do things that are good for us as well as for others and that makes us happy both now and later. Thank you for participating in a path that pursues a sustainable happiness rather than a temporary happiness of going back and forth between joy and suffering. You are the owners of Jungto Society, and each one of you is truly valuable. I hope you stay healthy in the new year.
Words of Encouragement by the International Division Head Soonyoung Kim
After Jungto Society transitioned onine, it has become possible for everyone in the North America Chapter to participate in online meetings together. I am very happy to start off the year of 2022 by holding the New Year’s Meeting with Dharma volunteers from west coast, east coast, central region, as well as Canada. Thank you all for all your hard work and dedication during the last 3 months. We are launching the English Dharma School in 2022, and I hope that preparing for and conducting the program will be a happy and joyful process. I am honored and happy to be on this journey together with all of you.
Sharing by Yeon Hee Jung, a Member of the East Coast Group
During the Dharma talk, Sunim said that the volunteers complain when given work to do but also complain when are told to take a break and rest. He may have been talking about me. During my sick leave, I should have just focused on getting better, but I felt uncomfortable about passing on my work load to other volunteers, and now that I have been assigned a new task, I feel burdened at the thought that I may not be able to do a good job. I will maintain mindfulness and take care not to get caught up in my thoughts.
Sharing by Minseok Kim, the Group Facilitator of the Canada East Coast Group
After watching the video clip about all the activities we have done during the last 3 months since officially launching the online Jungto Society, I realized that we had done a lot of work. I feel that we were able to accomplish so much because we all worked together. I could not have done much by myself. I am grateful to all my fellow volunteers.
Sharing by Juyoung Yoo, a Member of the North America East Coast Group
I felt grateful while listening to the New Year’s Meeting Dharma talk. I did not feel as burdened like I used to in the past whenever new plans were announced by Jungto Society. I felt relaxed and lightherarted at the thought that I will just to the best I can. I feel that I can accomplish great things when I work together with fellow practitioners.
Sharing by Dura Lee, the Group Facilitator of the North America East Coast
The sharing session after the North America Chapter New Year’s Meeting Dharma talk felt warm and lively. The more I practice and volunteer with fellow practitioners, the more I realize how precious they are. I am filled with hope that together we can accomplish the task of spreading the Buddha’s teachings to the world.
