February 21, 2026, Day 3 of Jeongcho (New Year’s) Prayer, Closing Dharma Talk
Hello. Morning has dawned at Dubuk Jungto Retreat Center.
Today is the third and final day of Jeongcho (New Year’s) Prayer. After morning practice and meditation, Sunim headed to the broadcasting room at Dubuk Jungto Retreat Center for Jeongcho Prayer.
At exactly 10 AM, the third day of Jeongcho Prayer began. Once all Jungto Society members entered the video conference room, the live broadcast started. Today marks the completion of the three-day Jeongcho Prayer. The members of the Sangha requested a closing Dharma talk from Sunim with three prostrations.
On this final day of Jeongcho Prayer, Sunim emphasized that a practitioner’s earnestness should extend beyond one’s personal desperation to encompass a world free from war, environmental destruction, and discrimination.
“Today is the third and final day of Jeongcho Prayer. When we say we ‘earnestly aspire,’ what should we earnestly aspire for?
First, we develop earnest hearts when life is threatened. When I am dying, the desire to live becomes desperate. The same applies when a family member’s life is in danger. When parents, siblings, spouses, or children are dying from incurable diseases or in danger from traffic accidents, the desire to save them becomes earnest. As this earnestness deepens, thoughts like ‘I would die if it meant saving my child’ arise. That’s why people pour out promises saying, ‘Buddha, if you save my child just this once, I’ll do anything.’ Why is this? Because they are that desperate and earnest. The Buddha taught that the most precious thing in this world is one’s own life, and furthermore, all life. That’s why Buddhism’s primary value is the teaching: ‘Do not carelessly kill living beings.’
The most representative act of harming life is war. War destroys countless lives and destroys the material resources necessary for survival. During war, violations of human dignity such as sexual assault also become rampant. Thus, war easily destroys the practitioner’s cherished primary value of life, secondary value of property protection, and tertiary value of human dignity protection. That’s why practitioners must never tolerate war. This is why we cherish peace. Even beyond war, since violence harms living beings, practitioners must oppose violence and war. However, today’s society is becoming increasingly violent, wars are breaking out around the world, and an atmosphere that encourages war is being created. That’s why we must more clearly hold the perspective that ‘war is unacceptable’ and ‘violence is unacceptable,’ and act to prevent society from moving in that direction.
Transforming One Person’s Desperation into Earnestness for All Life
While we become earnest about our own lives or our family members’ lives, our aspiration that ‘there should never be war on this land again’ doesn’t become equally earnest. We especially lack earnestness about preventing the destruction of nature that kills countless lives. That’s why such activities easily fizzle out.
Therefore, second, we must never support not only war but also reckless development that indiscriminately destroys the natural environment, and we must earnestly cultivate the desire to preserve nature. We must stop or reduce excessive consumption that emits large amounts of CO₂ in our daily lives. Additionally, microplastics have emerged as a major problem today. Microplastics flow into the ocean, are consumed by fish, and as we eat those fish, they ultimately threaten future life. Therefore, we must minimize plastic use. If we must use it, we shouldn’t throw it away after one use but should use it as long as possible. When we’re done using it, we must collect it for recycling and minimize indiscriminate disposal. While not using it at all would be best, plastic is so useful that it’s not easy to completely eliminate it from real life. Then we must strictly follow the principle: ‘Don’t use it if possible, and if you do use it, make sure to collect it.’ Environmental protection is directly connected to our lives, so we should naturally be earnest about it. However, because we lack that earnestness, our actions become lax and our activities fizzle out.
Third, when I have been sexually harassed, lost property to fraud, or been falsely accused, I develop an earnest desire to resolve the injustice. While we naturally become earnest when seeking to resolve our own grievances, the reality is that we are not as earnest when it comes to resolving others’ injustices. From the perspective of those who experience discrimination, the countless forms of discrimination in the world represent the greatest injustice. Therefore, we must not engage in any form of discrimination—whether based on gender, race, or class. Yet when we look at internet comments these days, people often spew discriminatory remarks based on physical appearance, race, or nationality, venting their emotions violently simply because they feel upset. We must move beyond such attitudes and strive for ‘equality.’ Every being in this world, regardless of size, appearance, or color, deserves recognition for their diversity, and we must accept that each existence is sacred. Our earnestness should be directed toward developing a perspective that acknowledges and understands differences from ourselves.
Where Should a Practitioner’s Earnestness Be Directed?
For practitioners, first, they should be earnest in maintaining pure precepts. Second, they should be earnest in cultivating Samadhi (禪定) to calm mental agitation and maintain tranquility. Third, they should be earnest in attaining wisdom (智慧) that penetrates the principles of life. When we pray to the Buddha with such earnestness, we say we offer ‘the fragrance of precepts (戒香),’ ‘the fragrance of meditation (定香),’ and ‘the fragrance of wisdom (慧香).’ Practitioners must cultivate their own character and offer the fragrance of that character to the Buddha. Only when we bow our heads with such earnest hearts can we achieve what we desire.
We must be earnest in protecting and sustaining life. We must not carelessly take life. Furthermore, to sustain human life, we need at least the basic necessities—food, clothing, and shelter—so we must not steal or take these from others. Moreover, since humans are not animals, we must not degrade others’ dignity or discriminate against them. These are the basic precepts, and we must be earnest in observing them. This ultimately brings peace and leads to a world without suffering—toward ‘nirvana,’ the Buddhist ideal.
The purpose of our earnest prayers is ultimately for all of us to live peacefully and happily. If we thought ‘it’s fine to live however, carelessly,’ we wouldn’t need such earnestness. However, we aspire to a world without conflict, where basic life is guaranteed. We want a society without discrimination based on gender, class, race, physical disability, or sexual orientation. We call a world without discrimination, suffering, and poverty the ‘Pure Land,’ and we have gathered to create it. We hope not only to become free and happy ourselves but for all of us to live in a world of freedom and happiness. The aspiration of ‘jatailsisung-buldo (自他一時成佛道)’—’wishing not just for myself but for all beings to attain enlightenment together’—is embedded throughout traditional Buddhism. However, without properly understanding its meaning, it’s easy to fall into thinking ‘as long as I’m doing well,’ ‘as long as I’m comfortable,’ or ‘as long as I’m well-fed.’
When a practitioner has 100 US dollars, rather than spending it on expensive food for oneself, they find greater meaning, joy, and fulfillment in buying 10 portions of 10 US dollars meals to share with 10 people. While how one spends money is a matter of personal freedom, our behavioral patterns differ depending on where we find life’s fulfillment and sense of ownership.
Why Are We So Desperate About Our Own Problems, Yet Silent About the World’s Suffering?
For someone who smokes, buying ‘good cigarettes’ is important. Even if expensive, they worry about ‘how to buy better cigarettes.’ However, non-smokers don’t spend money on cigarettes at all. A person addicted to drugs spends their money on better drugs when they have it. But someone not addicted to drugs doesn’t spend money in that direction. Yet we easily become addicted not only to things like alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, but also to what we call ‘preferences.’ Someone with a taste for tea will scrimp on other things but buy tea worth several tens of thousands of dollars. A person obsessed with cars buys cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Someone with a preference for coffee seeks coffee worth several thousand US dollar, and someone with a taste for alcohol buys liquor worth thousands of dollars. And they enjoy it while boasting to others.
However, practitioners who are not attached to such things don’t feel envious when they see them. Given the same time, money, and abilities, they value ‘the path that liberates me and helps more people become free and happy.’ They find greater fulfillment in peace that prevents war, environmental movements that stop nature’s destruction, welfare activities that help the poor, and volunteer work. This is because they have the aspiration that not just themselves, but everyone should be happy. We practice diligently like this to move toward ‘benefiting oneself and others’ – a world that is beneficial for both ourselves and others.
The reason your practice lacks earnestness is because this kind of ‘aspiration’ is insufficient. Because you’re still attached to the small self that thinks ‘mine’ and ‘as long as I’m doing well,’ you only become desperate when you face difficulties. When money is urgently needed, when illness strikes, or when cornered by crisis, you cling desperately, thinking ‘If only you help me, I’ll do anything next time.’ But once the problem is resolved, you quickly become lazy and lose interest. So faith rises and falls repeatedly, making the mind boil like porridge.
However, those who have aspirations are different. Having experienced hunger, they understand the feelings of the hungry. Having been unclothed, they know the heart of those without clothes. Having been sick, they understand the suffering of the ill. Having faced discrimination, they know the pain of those who are discriminated against. With this understanding, they don’t stop at overcoming their own suffering. Even if they themselves are not discriminated against, they believe they must work to improve systems and change society so that others won’t face discrimination. Even if they live in a country without war, they think of the suffering of people in war-torn nations and wish that “there should be no war there either.”
Yet we tend to focus intensely on “our problems” while giving little thought to the world’s problems. Our perspective narrows, and our concern easily flows toward “as long as we’re doing well, that’s all that matters.” That’s why, even as countless people have been massacred in Gaza, Palestine, we have lived by turning away and remaining silent. We even hesitate to speak about such injustices. Some Christians even defend such violence.
From Prayers for Myself to Prayers for the World
If I am precious, I must know that others are precious too. If my family is precious, I must know that other families are precious as well. If my country is precious, I must know that other countries are precious too. If I don’t want to be discriminated against, I must not discriminate against others. We must have this “interdependent perspective that doesn’t distinguish between self and others,” examining ourselves to understand others, and simultaneously examining others to reflect on ourselves.
From this perspective, we must together embrace “aspirations for all.” If war seems imminent, we must work to prevent it. When war breaks out, not everyone can flee. So we must let go of the thought that “I just need to evacuate” and first put our greatest effort into preventing war. If we cannot prevent war despite our efforts, we must strive to minimize casualties, prevent escalation, and work diligently to restore peace as soon as possible. After the war ends, we must work on reconstruction so that those who fled can return, and help with the repatriation of prisoners and treatment of the wounded. Of course, the most important thing is to eliminate the root causes in advance to prevent war from occurring. But if we ultimately fail to prevent it, we must work to keep the war from expanding or prolonging. As situations become more difficult, we must find what needs to be done at each moment and do our best. If we give up because we couldn’t prevent war, that cannot be considered a “genuine aspiration.” People must live, and while alive, they must continue practices that benefit themselves and society, even if just small acts.
If we pray consistently in daily life with such earnest aspirations, we can prevent future disasters in advance. Prayers made only during difficult times tend to remain reactive measures. Those who have had such experiences must now move toward “preventive prayer.” We must practice diligently in ordinary times so that disasters don’t occur again. This way, even if difficulties arise again, we will have cultivated the strength to respond immediately.
In this sense, Jungto practitioners engage in peace activities that save human lives. They also engage in environmental activities to save all living beings, and work to alleviate the suffering of those in absolute poverty through poverty eradication activities. They are also working to realize social justice to ease the suffering of those who face discrimination.
We must always live with consideration not only for ourselves but for others as well. We must not become like frogs who have forgotten their tadpole days. Since we have all experienced childhood, we must understand the situation of children. This doesn’t mean unconditionally taking the children’s side. It means solving problems while understanding their circumstances.
Most of us have experienced times of poverty. Therefore, we must understand the despair of those who are poor in the world. Also, it hasn’t been long since we experienced war. So we must remember how great the suffering is for those who are experiencing war now. While we each pray for ‘peace of mind,’ ‘freedom and happiness’ as individuals, we must also work to create a better world. We must establish peace to prevent wars from occurring, and transition to sustainable development so that natural ecosystems can recover. Socially, we must create an equal society without absolute poverty and a just society without discrimination. We call practitioners who aspire to and work for such a better world ‘builders of Jungto.’
I hope you will offer your closing prayers today from this perspective. I ask that you pray with sincere hearts toward our society and the world from an interdependent perspective that transcends the self.”
After the closing Dharma talk ended, the members chanted with resounding voices and performed their final 300 prostrations. With each bow, they offered their sincere devotion, praying that their earnest hearts would reach those who are suffering and alleviate their pain.
After completing the practice, participants entered video conference rooms by group for mindful sharing, connecting with fellow practitioners about what they felt during the practice. With this, the Jeongcho Prayer ceremony concluded.
Despite receiving treatment at the hospital yesterday afternoon, Sunim’s throat condition showed little improvement. After the ceremony, Sunim rested again today.
Tomorrow, Sunim will travel to Seoul early in the morning to conduct a live Dharma Talk broadcast for English-speaking members at 8 AM. In the afternoon, he will attend the joint graduation ceremony for Jungto Dharma School and Sutra Course at the underground auditorium of Jungto Social and Cultural Center.
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