Nov 27, 2024 -Weekly Dharma Assembly, 3rd Day of Pilgrimage Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Great Master Choe Je-u Suun’s Birth (Seoul)
Hello. Today is the third and final day of a 2-night, 3-day pilgrimage with various religious leaders and social figures to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Great Master Choe Je-u Suun’s birth.
Sunim arrived in Seoul late last night, ahead of the pilgrimage group, and conducted a live broadcast of the Weekly Dharma Assembly from the Jungto Center’s broadcasting studio starting at 10 AM. Overnight, heavy snowfall had blanketed the world in white.
As all Jungto Society members entered the video conference room, Sunim greeted them. He introduced the 2-night, 3-day pilgrimage journey and highlighted the points we should reflect on in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Great Master Choe Je-u Suun’s birth.
“For the past three days, I have been on a pilgrimage with various religious leaders, following in the footsteps of Choe Je-u, the founder of Donghak, who opened the door to indigenous democracy and Later Heaven’s Opening in modern Korean history, commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The Roots of South Korea’s Flourishing K-Culture
The fact that we have become a country so developed that the term ‘K-culture’ has become globalized is due to the Donghak ideology, which proclaimed a new world called Later Heaven’s Opening. Later Heaven’s Opening means a world where the people, not the king, become the masters of the country. In the late Joseon period, exploitation by corrupt officials was so severe that people were beaten to death or starved to death frequently. Unable to endure, farmers launched the Three Provinces People’s Uprising, attacking government offices. The country also suffered numerous foreign invasions. Amidst this, the Donghak Revolution resulted in a great tragedy where tens of thousands were massacred by government troops and Japanese forces. The massacre was unimaginably horrific. While the official point of losing the country is considered to be the 1910 Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, in reality, the nation’s fate had already begun to decline in 1894 when the Donghak revolutionary army was brutally massacred by Japanese troops, ending in failure. It was from this point that we began to lose our national sovereignty to surrounding powers. Despite this tragedy, on March 1, 1919, we once again rose up not only to regain our lost country through the independence movement but also to establish a new nation where the people would become its masters. This movement began with the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on April 11, shortly after the March 1st Movement.
Unfortunately, this history is not well-known, and the younger generation today is largely unaware of these facts. Moreover, some misguided individuals deny the roots of the Republic of Korea and claim that the country began with the establishment of the government in 1948, which was divided by foreign powers. This is a shameful assertion that makes us lose our national pride. While improving relations between Korea and Japan is necessary, we should do so with a proper understanding of this history and be cautious to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
A Long History Towards a Nation Where the People Are Sovereign
Although the intentions of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea were clear, they ultimately failed to achieve their goals due to the violent suppression by Japanese forces, resulting in many sacrifices. Eventually, after World War II, Korea was forcibly divided into North and South by powerful nations. Under these circumstances, we had no choice but to establish the government of the Republic of Korea in 1948, centered on South Korea. Since then, we have continued to strive for a nation where the people are sovereign, going through the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement, and the June Democratic Uprising, which have shaped today’s Republic of Korea into a democratic nation. The Republic of Korea we see today was not created overnight. It would be good to reflect once again on the fact that the current Republic of Korea exists within this long historical flow, as we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Choe Je-u Daeshinsa.”
Sunim then engaged in a dialogue with people who had submitted questions in advance. Three individuals pressed the raise hand button and asked Sunim questions. One of them sought Sunim’s advice on how to approach meditation, as the calmness experienced during meditation was leading to boredom.
How Can I Prevent the Calmness of Meditation from Turning into Boredom?
“Our minds are always busy collecting information through our eyes, which see shapes and colors; our ears, which hear sounds; our noses, which smell; our tongues, which taste; our bodies, which feel various sensations; and our heads, which think about various things. However, when we close our eyes and remain still, external information stops coming in, and our minds have nothing to do. When there’s little to do, we may feel comfortable but can also become bored. This is our daily life – complaining when we’re too busy and feeling bored when we have nothing to do. When we’re working, we struggle because we’re too busy, and when we’re not working, we complain that each day is boring. This all stems from the workings of our minds.
However, when we close our eyes and remain still, if we maintain awareness – whether of our breath or sensations – we don’t feel bored. Boredom indicates that we’ve lost our awareness. We feel bored when we start thinking, ‘When will this end?’ or ‘What’s the point of doing this?’ It’s natural for boredom to arise. When we stop after being constantly busy, we initially feel comfortable, but as time passes, boredom and tedium can set in. When we’re busy, we lose awareness and become stressed, and when we’re still, we lose awareness in comfort and feel bored. If we keep thinking, ‘When will this end?’ or ‘What’s the point of this?’ we’re bound to get bored. Meditation is about letting go of such thoughts and maintaining awareness of our sensations or breath. Similarly, in Seon practice, we need to keep our hwadu (meditation topic) vivid. If we lose focus, we should think, ‘Ah, I’ve lost it!’ and return to our breath, immediately becoming aware of its inhalation and exhalation. It’s like sitting by the seaside and watching the waves come in and out.
The brain tends to feel slightly bored when the same thing is repeated. However, when we maintain awareness, the same thing is not repeated. Just now, we lived as we breathed in, and now we live as we breathe out. It’s like living because we ate yesterday and living because we eat today. We might think we’re eating the same food every day, but it’s not exactly the same. When a river flows, we say the same water is flowing, but each drop of water is different. When we walk, we might say we’re just walking, but each path we take is different. Similarly, if we’re fully aware when breathing in and out, boredom doesn’t arise. Boredom occurs because we’ve lost our awareness.
Usually, when starting a meditation retreat, the first day is spent battling drowsiness, and the next day is consumed by fighting leg pain. However, once the drowsiness and leg pain subside and you feel like you’re finally getting the hang of it, the biggest obstacle that appears is boredom. Thoughts like “What’s the point of continuing this?” and “Why am I doing the same thing over and over?” start to creep in.
You tend to think that things should constantly change. You complain about living with the same person, finding it boring, and start showing interest in others. Even in romantic relationships, you repeat the cycle of meeting and breaking up. You find it dull and uninteresting to be with the same person, yet you also take issue when someone changes. If things are comfortable, you consider it a problem because it’s boring. With this perspective, you end up living a life where everything becomes an issue, no matter what you do.
When various things happen and you get busy, people say it becomes difficult. You should have the perspective that when you’re busy, it’s good because there’s a lot of work, and when there’s no work, it’s good because it’s relaxing. Psychologically analyzed, boredom occurs when you’re not awake. If you have the perspective that ‘breathing in and out is like being born and dying once,’ even if boredom arises, it will disappear.”
“Thank you. I understand well.”
After receiving questions from three people and having conversations, it was time to end the Dharma assembly. Promising to meet again at next week’s assembly, the live broadcast ended just before 12 o’clock.
After lunch, Sunim headed to the Cheondogyo Central Temple to participate in the final part of the pilgrimage commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Suun Choe Je-u. A heavy snow warning was issued for the entire Seoul area, and snow continued to fall endlessly from the sky.
The pilgrimage group, which had left Namwon early in the morning, safely arrived at the Cheondogyo Central Temple despite the heavy snowfall. Following the path that the Donghak peasant army had marched towards Seoul, the pilgrimage group paid their respects at the Ugumchi Battle Monument in Gongju. Sunim exchanged warm greetings with religious leaders from various faiths and social figures.
The Influence of Suun Choe Je-u and Donghak Thought on Modern Korean History
The final dialogue forum began at 2 PM sharp. Today’s topic was “The Influence of Suun Choe Je-u and Donghak Thought on Modern Korean History.” About 160 people, including academics, religious figures, and ordinary citizens interested in Donghak thought, attended, showing great interest and enthusiasm.
First, a video showing the pilgrimage over the past two nights and three days was shown. Everyone applauded loudly for the journey that followed in the footsteps of the Great Master, from Seoul to Gyeongju, from Gyeongju to Namwon, and back to Seoul.
After the video, Yoon Seok-san, the head priest of Cheondogyo, gave a welcoming speech to the pilgrimage group.
“I am truly moved. The places you have visited – Gyeongju, Namwon, and Ugumchi – are the most important points in the history of Donghak and Cheondogyo. The teachings that Suun Great Master started at Yongdam-jeong continued with the three important scriptures he left at Eunjeok-am in Namwon, and his descendants made countless sacrifices for a new world at the Battle of Ugumchi. This temple itself is a historic building that was at the center of the independence movement. I am deeply moved to be able to reflect on this history and share unfinished stories on the 200th anniversary of Suun Choe Je-u’s birth. I am deeply grateful to Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and the religious and social elders who have joined us.”
Next, Reverend Park Jong-hwa of Kyungdong Church, representing the Religious People’s Association for Reconciliation and Peace of the Korean People, gave a greeting.
“The essence of what our religions pursue is not division but integration. Love is at the center of that integration. Suun Choe Je-u’s ‘Sicheonju’ means to serve and love Hanulnim, ‘Sain-yeocheon’ means to serve all people as if they were Hanulnim, and ‘In-naecheon’ means to love oneself. This is no different from the Christian message to ‘love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself.’ All religions share common values of love and harmony. I hope we can achieve peace in this land based on these messages of love and reconciliation.”
Next, former Minister of Culture and Sports Shin Nak-kyun, who participated in the entire two-night, three-day schedule, gave a congratulatory speech.
“Donghak, founded by Suun Choe Je-u, was a revolutionary and great achievement based on the idea of human equality amidst the oppression of the ruling class and foreign powers in the 1800s. It goes beyond a simple religion to become a great philosophy and ideology that raises our national pride, and can be the foundation of ‘K-philosophy’ and ‘K-religion’ that we can proudly present today. However, it is unfortunate that such achievements of saints and heroes are only considered as a single religion and have not received sufficient national recognition. To inherit and develop this in a modern way, I hope we can widely spread and cultivate the ideas and life of Donghak through education and social movements.”
Next, former Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, who took time out of his busy schedule to congratulate this event, gave a congratulatory speech.
“If Suun Choe Je-u were to be reborn and see today’s situation, I wonder if he wouldn’t be saddened to find it not much different from the situation he lamented and worried about 160 years ago. Just as political corruption, confusion of value systems, conflicts between social classes, and pressure from foreign powers endangered the country then, materialism, division, and polarization are serious problems now. Our ‘1987 system’ has already reached its lifespan but is still maintained, and the division between North and South Korea and the world order of self-reliance threaten the stability of the nation. To solve these problems, we need to reform the ruinous political system, shift from material-centered to human-centered values, and build a balanced system of alliances and self-strengthening. I hope this pilgrimage will be an important opportunity to set right a country that is chaotic and unstable.”
After the congratulatory speeches, the dialogue forum began. Dr. Jo Min, a guidance committee member of the Peace Foundation, introduced three presenters who would serve as the starting point for the dialogue forum.
First, Professor Lim Hyung-jin, president of the Donghak Society, presented on the topic “The Influence of Donghak on the Donghak Peasant Revolution.”
“The core of Donghak lies in ‘serving and attending.’ ‘Serving’ means serving Heaven within oneself and realizing that all beings serve Heaven. ‘Attending’ refers to the attitude of respecting all people as if they were Heaven. This spirit led to the action guidelines of the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Donghak sought to open an era of community where everyone is united as one, moving from the era of individual-centered pre-heaven to the era of post-heaven where all are one. The Donghak Peasant Revolution was not simply a peasant uprising, but a revolution against feudalism and foreign powers based on these ideas of Donghak. The reform agenda put forward by the Donghak army, such as the ‘Proposal for Reforming Evil Practices,’ contained the spirit of independence and communitarianism, which was a concrete manifestation of Donghak’s ideas. They did not simply engage in physical resistance but dreamed of a new social order based on the spirit of harmony and integration.”
Second, Professor Yoon Kyung-ro of Hansung University presented on the topic “The Influence of Donghak on the March 1st Independence Movement.”
“The core of Donghak thought is ‘Sicheonju’ and ‘In-naecheon.’ This makes people realize that all humans are noble beings serving Heaven, denies the feudal class system, and advocates for equality for all. This spirit of Donghak led to the March 1st Independence Movement, forming the foundation of a democratic republic where ‘the people are the masters of the country.’ The first sentence of the March 1st Declaration of Independence, ‘We hereby declare that Korea is an independent state and Koreans are a self-governing people,’ directly reflects Donghak’s spirit of independence and values of equality. Also, the specification in Article 1 of the Provisional Charter that ‘The Republic of Korea shall be a democratic republic’ can be seen as a practical result of Donghak thought. The In-naecheon idea of Donghak and the spirit of Sain-yeocheon declared through the March 1st Independence Movement that the people are the masters of the country, laying the groundwork for a democratic system that goes beyond the feudal system. Donghak thought is embedded not only in the national awakening but also in the vision of the March 1st Declaration of Independence to ‘become a stepping stone for peace in the East and world peace.’ This shows that the spirit of harmony and integration that Donghak aimed for is still valid today and is being inherited as a value that pursues coexistence of the world and humanity.”
Third, Dr. Gu Hae-woo presented on the topic “The Influence of Donghak Thought on the Development of Democracy in the Republic of Korea.”
“The essence of Donghak thought is not simply a revolutionary ideology of the past, but a philosophical foundation that has continuously evolved, aiming for the future. The idea of ‘opening a new world’ in Donghak started with Choe Je-u, continued through Choe Si-hyeong, and led to the ideological fusion of Son Byeong-hui. In particular, Son Byeong-hui presented the starting point of ‘New Donghak,’ which fused Donghak and modern civilization through the March 1st Movement. It is a very important point in the philosophical evolution process of Donghak that they realized the essence of modern civilization through historical defeats like the Battle of Ugumchi, and based on this, presented a new paradigm of human awakening and material awakening. Son Byeong-hui not only inherited the tradition of Donghak but also presented a vision for a new era by including modern values such as democracy, equality, and peace in the Declaration of Independence of the March 1st Movement. In particular, Donghak thought provides a philosophical foundation that enables a new form of democracy called ‘awakening democracy.’ This presents a model of evolved democracy that goes beyond formal democracy like majority rule, respecting diversity and equality, and overcoming social conflicts through moderation and harmony. The reason why Donghak thought can provide a philosophical foundation to overcome the current crisis of democracy lies in this integrative and evolutionary nature.”
After all the presentations, there was a short break. From 4 PM, an in-depth discussion on the topic continued, freely receiving questions from the audience.
Ko Kyung-bin, a guidance committee member of the Peace Foundation, asked Professor Yoon Kyung-ro, “Can’t we view the process of Japan easily overthrowing Joseon with a single treaty and the influence of Donghak thought on the formation of the democratic republic of Korea from the perspective of a long-term civil revolution?” He also suggested that “the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of Donghak soldiers became the foundation of the democratic republic, and this, like the martyrdom of Christianity, would have been an opportunity for the Donghak spirit to spread widely among the people.”
Professor Yoon agreed that Donghak’s In-naecheon thought acted as a bud of popular sovereignty, explaining, “There was a declarative philosophy like the Great Unity Declaration of 1917 behind the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea specifying in Article 1 of its charter that ‘The Republic of Korea shall be a democratic republic.'” He also explained the process by which Japan separated Joseon from Qing China through the Ganghwa Island Treaty (1876) and deepened economic dependence by exploiting Joseon’s weakness in ignorance of the tariff system, emphasizing that “ignorance is more dangerous than corruption.”
A member of Jungto Society asked, “How can Donghak thought contribute to making a better world in modern times?” Dr. Jo Min explained Donghak’s concept of non-action and the harmony of stillness and movement, answering, “Donghak provides values that integrate the divided modern society based on a non-separative worldview where Heaven (sky) and human, microcosm and macrocosm are one.”
Father Kim Ki-hwa of the Catholic Church asked, “What is needed to spread Donghak thought to the world as K-thought?” Professor Lim Hyung-jin cautioned against a nationalistic attitude, saying, “Just as the Korean Wave wasn’t forcibly spread but naturally permeated, foreigners should be able to empathize with the universality of Donghak thought.” Dr. Jo Min emphasized, “Western religions have a dichotomous worldview of inclusion and exclusion, but Donghak is based on non-action where all beings are in perfect unity,” adding, “These characteristics can be competitive as K-thought.”
“At the end of the event, Professor Im Hyung-jin expressed regret, saying, ‘Despite the sacrifice of about 1 million Donghak-Cheondogyo martyrs, their intentions have not been sufficiently reflected in history.’ He emphasized the global historical value of the Jipgangso system of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, which has been designated as a UNESCO Memory of the World, mentioning that ‘This was the first people’s governing system in East Asia.’ Jipgangso refers to the civil administration agencies established by the peasant army in each town (eup and ju) of Jeolla Province during the Donghak Peasant Movement in 1894.
Concluding the three-hour debate, Dr. Jo Min, who moderated the discussion, emphasized, ‘Donghak philosophy contains inherent logic that can overcome the crisis facing humanity,’ and added, ‘We need to develop this into a collective will that promotes social change.’ With these remarks, he brought the dialogue forum to a close.”
This dialogue forum confirmed that Donghak philosophy is not just a relic of the past, but can serve as an ideological foundation for addressing contemporary Korean social issues and global problems. It was an opportunity to explore how Donghak’s concepts of ‘In-nae-cheon’ (humans and heaven are one) and ‘Mu-wi-i-hwa’ (non-action harmonization) could evolve into Korean-style modernization and K-philosophy. After concluding the dialogue forum, we all took a commemorative photo together.
“After finishing the photo shoot, all the attendees approached Sunim to express their gratitude.”
“Thanks to Sunim’s invitation, I have learned so much.”
“Sunim exchanged farewells with the attendees and left the Cheondogyo Central Temple.”
The snow falling from the sky all day long showed no signs of stopping. After passing through the dazzlingly white-covered downtown Seoul, I returned to the Seoul Jungto Society building once again.
As the sun set, from 7 PM, Sunim conducted an online meeting with the executive board of Jungto Society to coordinate his schedule for 2025. Each department proposed events that Sunim must attend, and they adjusted the schedule to avoid overlaps, organizing it month by month starting from January next year. When the meeting ended, they realized that Sunim’s schedule for next year was already filled to the brim without any gaps.
Tomorrow morning, Sunim will attend the final day of a traditional Buddhist funeral ceremony for the mother of Bosu Dharma teacher and perform a dharma talk to help the spirit of the deceased attain rebirth in the Pure Land. In the afternoon, Sunim will depart from Korea for Chennai, India, via Bangkok, to attend the INEB (International Network of Engaged Buddhists) conference
