Nov 13, 2024 – Weekly Dharma Assembly
Hello. Today is the day for the regular Weekly Dharma Assembly for Jungto Society members.
After completing his early morning practice and meditation, Sunim conducted a live broadcast of the Weekly Dharma Assembly at 10 AM. Once all Jungto Society members had entered the video conference room, Sunim greeted them. Three days ago, we completed the sixth 100-day period of the First 1000-Day Practice in the Second 10,000-Day Practice, and now we have started the seventh 100-day period, with three days having passed. Sunim spoke about the mindset we should maintain during the 100-day practice.
“There’s an old saying that good intentions last only three days. Have you managed to practice diligently without missing a day for these three days? Or have you already skipped your practice? If you can go three days without missing your practice, you can go seven days. If you can go seven days, you can go 21 days. If you can go 21 days, you can go 49 days. And if you have the strength to go 49 days without missing, you can go 100 days. That’s why the beginning of the 1000-Day Practice is very important. If you start skipping practice from the beginning, you might eventually forget that you’re even a 1000-Day Practice participant and just get absorbed in your daily life. Even if it’s a bit difficult at first, if you overcome that difficulty and persist, the latter part will come naturally. Even if you’ve missed a day or two of practice, we’ve only just started the seventh 100-day prayer period three days ago. So, after listening to today’s Dharma assembly, I hope you will renew your determination and consistently practice without missing at least for the first 21 days of this initial period.”
Just Being Aware of the Mind
We desire consistency in our minds. However, the nature of the mind itself is fickle. It can be described as ‘wavering’. The mind is like boiling porridge. That’s why the Buddha said that the mind lacks permanence. It quickly likes something and then quickly dislikes it. Even in marital relationships, when things are good, couples say, “Let’s meet and live together in the next life too!” But when they dislike each other, they say, “I can’t stand the sight of you. I want to break up right now!” This is how the mind constantly changes, different in the morning and different in the evening.
Practice is not about preventing the mind from changing. It’s not about maintaining a single state of mind consistently. Rather, practice is about recognizing that the mind is always changing and not being controlled by it. The mind constantly fluctuates between “wanting to do” and “not wanting to do,” so we simply need to be aware of it. We just need to notice, “Oh, I want to do this,” “Oh, I don’t want to do that,” “Oh, I like this,” “Oh, I dislike that.” We merely observe the mind, but we carry on with what we’ve decided to do. This is called just being aware. If you’ve decided to wake up at 5 AM to pray, you do it on days when you feel like it and on days when you don’t.
First, you must understand that the mind naturally fluctuates. Second, you should steadily do what you’ve decided to do, regardless of how your mind changes from moment to moment. Consistently following through with your initial plan is called maintaining your original intention (choshim). Maintaining your original intention is also called having a single mind (ilshim). Having a single mind doesn’t mean your mind never wavers after you’ve made a decision. It means that even though your mind constantly fluctuates, you steadily carry on with what you’ve decided to do without being swayed by those fluctuations. This is also expressed as shinsim, or faith. It means that although your mind is always changing, you consistently follow through on what you’ve decided to do. That’s why we’re practicing diligently every day for 100 days after joining the 1000-Day Practice.
Practice Means Not Being Controlled by Your Mind
It’s not only praying to Buddha as part of the 1000-Day Practice that can bring about personal change. Whether you pray to God or to mountain spirits, consistently maintaining your mind forms the foundation for change. What you believe in is not important. Being consistent is the key. That’s why Buddha’s last words before entering nirvana were: “All compounded things are impermanent. Practice diligently. Like water dripping on a rock.” The world is constantly changing, and our minds change along with it. So we shouldn’t cling to the thoughts that arise, nor should we blame our minds. We must practice diligently. For example, if you decide to exercise because of health issues due to lack of exercise, you need to do it consistently. But most people start off enthusiastically for a few days, then stop when they get sore. You need to keep going, even if it’s just a little bit. This is what we call diligent practice.
It’s only been three days since we started, so those who haven’t missed a day so far should keep going steadily. Even if you’ve already missed a day or two out of the three, let that go and start practicing diligently from today onwards.”
Sunim then had a conversation with those who had submitted questions in advance. Three people pressed the raise hand button and asked Sunim questions. One of them expressed concern about how to view the choice of American citizens who re-elected Trump as president.
How Should We View America’s Re-Election of Trump as President?
“Historically, if we look at the personal morality of those who unified countries, defended against foreign invasions, or expanded cultural projects domestically, sometimes it aligns and sometimes it doesn’t. In Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo killed his nephew and usurped the throne, but he carried out various cultural projects. Didn’t King Taejong kill his brothers and seize the throne? In this way, the process of ascending to the throne and their achievements in establishing the country can be seen as somewhat separate. When we evaluate someone, it depends on whether we focus on ethical and moral evaluation, or put more weight on their role – whether as president, general, and so on.
In the past, a man’s fondness for multiple women was even seen as manly and not negatively evaluated. Likewise, enjoying alcohol was not viewed negatively. However, today, excessive drinking or having multiple romantic partners is negatively evaluated.
There are big cultural differences between Europe and Korea. In Korea, if a public figure like the president or a member of parliament has an affair while married, it’s considered a serious issue that requires resignation. But in countries like France, people don’t make much of an issue of personal matters that don’t directly relate to politics.
After World War II, progressive forces advocating for peace, prohibiting racial discrimination, and pursuing gender equality began to take the lead in American society. This social atmosphere led to significant changes towards a more equal society that respects human rights. However, while America pursued such changes internally, externally it often supported dictators in other countries and invaded other nations militarily to maintain its interests and global hegemony. This led to the formation of global public opinion criticizing America.
At that time, America was both the world’s strongest and wealthiest country, but now, while it can still be called the world’s strongest country, it can no longer be said to be the wealthiest economically. Traditionally, white workers could graduate from high school or college, get a job at a company, and maintain a middle-class lifestyle with their salary, paying off student loans and supporting their families. However, as American capitalism shifted towards financial capitalism or speculative capitalism, the wealth gap widened dramatically, and even college graduates found it difficult to find jobs. Even if they find jobs, it’s hard to pay off student loans, and their lives are not stably guaranteed.
As American society became digitalized and automation technology was introduced, immigrants from Asia and even women began earning more than them. Seeing this situation, they developed a kind of resentment internally, similar to nativism, but because they had received equality and human rights education in school, they couldn’t express these feelings outwardly. Then Trump appeared and started expressing these emotions on their behalf. From a general moral standard, Trump might be seen as a truly incomprehensible figure. That’s why there’s such a thing as ‘shy Trump’ supporters. They might feel embarrassed to openly support Trump, but in their hearts, they feel ‘Yes, he’s right. It’s refreshing.’ The polls showed Harris either leading or in a close race. However, there were votes that weren’t captured by the polls. As a result, the actual outcome was very different from what the polls had predicted
Given the current situation, there might be a slightly higher possibility of the incidents you’re concerned about occurring compared to before. However, we can’t say that Asians or women will be openly terrorized on the streets. If there was one incident per million people before, there might now be two or three per million, but it’s unlikely to reach one incident per ten thousand people. Therefore, there’s no need for significant concern. It’s best to view the current situation in this perspective.
Trump supporters were originally predominantly white males, but as women have made significant social advancements, some black men have also begun to support Trump. When viewed in terms of race, there’s more support from whites, and when viewed in terms of gender, there’s more support from men. Particularly, young men show strong support. In any society, when discrimination disappears, those who were discriminated against rejoice, while those who were privileged feel a sense of loss. This backlash can be seen as contributing to the Trump phenomenon. We can’t understand or solve this phenomenon by simply labeling Trump as a criminal, a bad person, or a sexual predator. People who chose Trump didn’t vote for him unaware of these issues. They go as far as saying, “What’s wrong with having complicated relationships with women?” They believe that leading the country well and reviving the economy are more important. If they don’t see any particular disadvantage to themselves and there’s a possibility of future benefits, they support him. Nevertheless, intellectuals might feel somewhat uncomfortable openly expressing support for Trump, so they don’t express it outwardly but give him their vote at the polling station. This is why there’s a discrepancy between opinion polls and actual voting results.
With Trump becoming president, global uncertainty has increased. Traditional leaders act within established rules, making it possible to predict the future. However, Trump doesn’t follow these rules. He even goes so far as to say, “I’m crazy. Don’t mess with me.” This makes us feel somewhat anxious. But is Trump really completely insane? Not quite. Trump is known to act a bit crazy even when investing in real estate. He’s skilled at creating a sense of urgency, as if not buying would result in a great loss.
Those who profit from the U.S. military-industrial complex outwardly speak of world peace, but they benefit from ongoing conflicts around the world. However, Trump isn’t someone who profits from the defense industry. As he greatly values money and dislikes spending it, he suggests stopping the costly U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Each exercise costs about 100 billion won, so he says if South Korea wants to continue the drills, they should pay for them. He even suspended the military exercises, questioning their necessity.
People who follow rules can’t stop midway even when problems arise, due to promises or established practices. Trump’s evaluation criteria are very simple. While rule-followers strictly distinguish between allies and enemies, Trump is willing to work with enemies if it’s profitable and break ties with allies if it’s disadvantageous. This is very confusing from the perspective of the existing order. That’s why the whole world is unsure how to respond. Stability comes from being able to predict the future, but inability to predict leads to instability. While global instability has increased, Sunim doesn’t believe this will lead to World War III or global chaos.
South Korea and the U.S. have already agreed to increase the cost of maintaining U.S. troops in Korea by 10% initially, followed by annual increases matching inflation for the next five years. However, Trump might change this agreement. He doesn’t place much importance on conventions or promises. He thinks, “Aren’t Koreans living better than Americans now?” This is because many American homes have Samsung TVs and LG refrigerators. He believes that if Korea is doing so well, it should handle its own defense instead of the U.S. bearing the cost. Trump thinks that since South Korea has a larger population and a much stronger economy than North Korea, why can’t it defend itself? That’s why he talks about withdrawing U.S. troops from Korea. If Korea needs U.S. troops to stay, he says Korea should pay for their maintenance. His perspective is this simple. Although it’s said that U.S. troops in Korea are there to counter North Korea, Trump probably knows they’re actually there to check China. But in an election context, when he explains it so simply to the general public, it’s much easier for them to understand.
If Korea were to take a firm stance and say, “Thank you for your help so far, but we can now handle our own defense, so it’s okay to withdraw U.S. troops,” it would be easier to solve the problem. However, because Korea insists on keeping U.S. troops, it faces the dilemma of having to pay more.
Regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons issue, Trump’s perspective is completely different from previous U.S. presidents. In the past, they established the NPT regime and emphasized principles, insisting that North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons was absolutely unacceptable. However, Trump’s approach is that if North Korea already has nuclear weapons, we should try to appease them and stabilize the situation. He questions the need to provoke conflict with a nuclear-armed adversary. Similarly, with the Ukraine war, he doesn’t focus on whether territory was taken or not. Instead, he argues that in the current situation, where Russia can’t defeat NATO and NATO can’t push into Russia, people are dying, money is being wasted, and infrastructure is being destroyed. So he suggests stopping the war first, regardless of past claims. The war continues because both sides keep arguing about past territorial claims. Trump proposes halting the war first and then addressing the next issues.
From Ukraine’s perspective, they might say they can’t stop because they need to reclaim their lost territory. Trump’s approach would be to say, “Okay, we understand. From now on, we won’t provide aid, so do as you see fit.” To Russia, he would say, “If you don’t stop the war and continue to advance, we’ll provide massive weapons support to Ukraine. Try it if you dare.” This is why Trump boasts that he could stop the war in a day. With this mindset, there’s a possibility of resolving issues that have remained unsolved until now.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Trump is a good person. Most leaders are constrained by various reasons and keep pushing and pulling, saying “Did I do well? Did you do well?” and fail to solve problems. Trump, on the other hand, doesn’t untie the knot but cuts it with a knife, which might actually increase the possibility of resolution. However, it’s uncertain whether this will lead to a complete solution. Nevertheless, we can say that the possibility is slightly higher than with the current Biden administration. The risk of war on the Korean Peninsula can’t be said to have decreased, but it has stopped escalating for now. The Korean government, which had been continuously taking a hard-line stance militarily, has recently been more cautious and quiet. In this way, we can see that the rising risk of war has somewhat paused since Trump’s election.
From my perspective, Trump doesn’t seem to be someone who actually likes war. He’s a person who pursues personal interests and has some moral issues. When appointing people, he doesn’t follow conventions for selecting national talent. For example, he’s reportedly appointing a former major as the Secretary of Defense. This is unprecedented in American history. Typically, one needed at least three stars to become Secretary of Defense. However, he appointed a former major in his early 40s who hosts a TV program as the Secretary of Defense. While this shows an unpredictable side, a positive interpretation could be that there’s a possibility of solving difficult problems.
For us, mitigating the risk of war is the most important priority. After that, we need to consider how to address issues such as the cost of stationing U.S. troops in Korea and trade matters. We’ve already made significant investments in the U.S., enticed by the Biden administration’s promise of tax exemptions, haven’t we? But now they’re canceling those exemptions. Additionally, since we have a large trade surplus with the U.S., we’re likely to face various difficulties in trade issues going forward. As a result, our stock market has fallen, and the exchange rate has surpassed 1,400 won to the dollar. Economically speaking, the losses are substantial. However, the argument is that this is still preferable to war. Given the current high risk of war due to the situations with the South Korean government, North Korean government, and international relations, preventing war should be our top priority. We should first address this issue and then gradually find ways to deal with the rest. From this perspective, instead of approaching the current situation as good or bad, an opportunity or not, it would be better to objectively observe the given reality and find our path forward as the situation unfolds.
It’s not right for us to adhere to the rules when the other side is disrupting them and breaking promises at will. We need to observe the situation and consider how best to respond. Since North Korea cannot immediately dismantle its nuclear program, we could start by freezing it and addressing South Korea’s nuclear reprocessing issues. Currently, South Korea sends all its reactors abroad for reprocessing and then brings them back. We could seek permission to carry out the reprocessing process ourselves. Japan, for instance, does all its reprocessing domestically. There’s a possibility that things that weren’t possible before could now be achieved. When it comes to what to give and what to gain, instead of saying, “This is absolutely non-negotiable,” we should be willing to give what we must. In exchange, we should aim to gain what we’ve been seeking but haven’t been able to obtain so far. This perspective might be beneficial.
However, it’s true that people of color and immigrants within the United States have become somewhat disadvantaged. They may need to endure this to some extent. We are outside the U.S., so our urgent concern is preventing the risk of war, while for those inside the U.S., issues like securing their status are more important. I fully understand your concerns, but while these concerns have heightened somewhat, it’s not to the extent that living in the U.S. has become impossible. It would be good if you could endure these challenges to some degree and adapt to living there.
“Yes, thank you for explaining in such detail. I realize now that it was my mistake to link a politician’s ability with their morality. I also understand that global uncertainty could increase. I live in the United States, but I believe that peace on the Korean Peninsula takes precedence over my personal well-being.”
“Of course, as a Korean, you would naturally think that way. However, for the majority of Americans who are not of Korean descent, the price of their gas is more important than how many people die in Korea or the Middle East. The current global changes are underpinned by these interests. The core of the Trump phenomenon is not about security issues or environmental problems, but economic issues. These economic issues are having a significant, albeit invisible, impact on people. Of course, Biden has done well with macroeconomic indicators like exports and investments. In Korea too, they say exports are doing well, and credit the current government for that. But what people feel tangibly is inflation. You can feel the rise in prices, can’t you? When inflation is severe, it usually leads to a change in government. What people feel tangibly is most important to them.”
The questions continued.
Will practicing self-acceptance help in understanding others? What kind of practice should one do to understand others?
My ex-husband remarried last year and had a child. He wants to tell my son about his remarriage and new child. When and how should we tell him to minimize the hurt?
After an hour of conversation, the live broadcast ended at 11:30 AM.
After lunch, from 2 PM, Sunim discussed next year’s JTS projects and overseas schedules with the JTS and Jungto Society International Cooperation Team. They adjusted Sunim’s overseas schedule in case there would be a 100-day special practice and 100-day Dharma talks in the first half of next year, and then concluded the meeting.
As the sun set, Sunim spent the evening indoors proofreading manuscripts and handling various tasks before retiring early.
Tomorrow, an all-day symposium and ceremony for the 20th anniversary of The Peace Foundation will be held at the Kim Koo Museum & Library.”
