\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Why am I saying that people are going in the wrong direction? People in the world consider the good feelings they have when things go their way to be happiness. They consider the bad feeling they have when things don\u2019t go their way to be unhappiness. And they think that doing whatever they want is freedom and not doing what they want is bondage. These are ordinary people\u2019s concepts of happiness and freedom. However, in real life, these values can\u2019t be realized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Everybody wants to be free and happy but they are not. It is not because it is impossible to be free and happy, but because they are going in the wrong direction. As they are going in the wrong direction, they can\u2019t reach their destination no matter how steadfastly they walk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I saying that people are going in the wrong direction? People in the world consider the good feelings they have when things go their way to be happiness. They consider the bad feeling they have when things don\u2019t go their way to be unhappiness. And they think that doing whatever they want is freedom and not doing what they want is bondage. These are ordinary people\u2019s concepts of happiness and freedom. However, in real life, these values can\u2019t be realized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
The reason why people are unhappy no matter how hard they try to be happy<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Everybody wants to be free and happy but they are not. It is not because it is impossible to be free and happy, but because they are going in the wrong direction. As they are going in the wrong direction, they can\u2019t reach their destination no matter how steadfastly they walk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I saying that people are going in the wrong direction? People in the world consider the good feelings they have when things go their way to be happiness. They consider the bad feeling they have when things don\u2019t go their way to be unhappiness. And they think that doing whatever they want is freedom and not doing what they want is bondage. These are ordinary people\u2019s concepts of happiness and freedom. However, in real life, these values can\u2019t be realized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n
\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The reason why people are unhappy no matter how hard they try to be happy<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Everybody wants to be free and happy but they are not. It is not because it is impossible to be free and happy, but because they are going in the wrong direction. As they are going in the wrong direction, they can\u2019t reach their destination no matter how steadfastly they walk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I saying that people are going in the wrong direction? People in the world consider the good feelings they have when things go their way to be happiness. They consider the bad feeling they have when things don\u2019t go their way to be unhappiness. And they think that doing whatever they want is freedom and not doing what they want is bondage. These are ordinary people\u2019s concepts of happiness and freedom. However, in real life, these values can\u2019t be realized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

\n

Meditation is not about training in techniques, such as how to sit or how to breathe. The most important goal of meditation is to move toward liberation and nirvana. Liberation means freedom from all fetters. Nirvana means happiness without suffering. In other words, liberation and nirvana is a state of sustainable freedom and happiness in which the endless cycle of joy and suffering is ended.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The reason why people are unhappy no matter how hard they try to be happy<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Everybody wants to be free and happy but they are not. It is not because it is impossible to be free and happy, but because they are going in the wrong direction. As they are going in the wrong direction, they can\u2019t reach their destination no matter how steadfastly they walk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I saying that people are going in the wrong direction? People in the world consider the good feelings they have when things go their way to be happiness. They consider the bad feeling they have when things don\u2019t go their way to be unhappiness. And they think that doing whatever they want is freedom and not doing what they want is bondage. These are ordinary people\u2019s concepts of happiness and freedom. However, in real life, these values can\u2019t be realized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy briefly. But, when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. As there is no end to desire, you experience joy and suffering repeatedly. The Buddha said that this never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is the inevitable contradiction and limit of human life. Joy and suffering can\u2019t be divided. Yesterday\u2019s suffering can turn into today\u2019s joy and today\u2019s joy can turn into tomorrow\u2019s suffering. Since people don\u2019t know this principle, they want to live in a world filled with joy and devoid of suffering, thinking that it is possible to live in such a world. However, this is not possible in real life, so they wish to be born in such a world after they die. Therefore, every religion has an ideal world called heaven or paradise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society\u2019s current level consumption is even higher than that which is supposedly provided by the ideal world, the heaven that people dreamed of in the past. But we have greater desires now, so we consider our condition no better than hell. We can\u2019t see this contradiction because we only see what we want to achieve. Thinking that they are unhappy because their abilities or efforts are not sufficient, people try to get what they want by asking a powerful third party. As a result, religions that contain elements of asking help from almighty gods came to exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religions already existed 5,000 years ago. The contemporaries of the Buddha, who lived 2,600 years ago, also tried to solve the contradictions of the world with religion. Religious teachings could comfort people temporarily, like drugs, but couldn\u2019t solve the problems fundamentally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way of neither following nor suppressing desires<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha investigated how to solve this problem in-depth. He discovered that the root of the never-ending cycle of joy and suffering is desire. When your desires are fulfilled, you feel joy and when your desires are not fulfilled, you suffer. But once you are free from desire, joy and suffering also disappear. The cycle of joy and suffering ends. But people can\u2019t even imagine becoming free from desire. People can think of only two ways to respond to desire: surrendering or resisting. In the West, these two ways were expressed as Epicureanism and Stoicism. And in India, they were expressed as hedonism and asceticism. The Buddha experienced ultimate pleasure and ultimate self-mortification, and found that neither are the right way toward liberation and nirvana. He discovered a third path, the Middle Way. He followed the Middle Way and attained liberation and nirvana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Middle Way is just recognizing desire instead of following or suppressing. When you follow desire, consequences follow, and when you suppress desire, you become stressed. People suppress desire because following it will result in loss, but suppressing it leads to frustration and eventually to an explosion. Explosions result in loss again, so they suppress it, and then explode again, this cycle is repeated constantly. However, simply recognizing desire is not to respond to it at all; neither following nor suppressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

True freedom is to be free from desire by recognizing it. Then, from where does desire arise? The root of desire is karma. When your karma comes into contact with an external situation, a feeling arises, and based on that feeling, a desire arises. Each person has different karma, so each person has different desires.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people have a strong desire for money, whereas others have no desire for money. Some people have a strong desire for food, whereas others don\u2019t care much about food and they can eat anything offered, like an ascetic. Different people have different desires. This gives us hope even though it seems impossible for humans to be free from desire. Because even ordinary people are free from some desires. Therefore, we can see that becoming free from desires is not impossible and anyone can do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We seem to live our life but in fact our life is the automatic reactions of our karma. Based on each reaction, a desire arises within us and then we act on the desire. In other words, our life is a perpetual repetition of karma and desire. People think that they are unhappy because of some external circumstances, but it is only a secondary and partial reason. When we are free from desire, we seldom suffer or feel fettered.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the precepts is essential to becoming free from desire and karma<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Then how can we be free from our desires and karma? We are meditating now to achieve this freedom. However, wanting to be free from desire while eating whatever you want to eat, lying down when you want to lie down, and doing whatever you want to do is contradictory. In addition to the desires for food and sleep, we have other serious karma. Even if we are free from the desires for food and sleep, attaining liberation will be hard. As such, wishing for liberation without even achieving this much is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say I have a habit of smoking. I am not saying that smoking is bad but not being able to quit smoking while pursuing liberation and nirvana is contradictory. How can I be free from karma that has been formed through infinity if I can\u2019t even quit smoking, a habit that is only several years or decades old? That is why anyone who wishes to move toward liberation and nirvana needs to observe the precepts. We need to value and observe the precepts. Practicing to attain liberation and nirvana while not observing the precepts is contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slave is forced to do something and a master takes the lead<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, I recommended that you voluntarily follow the rules to control desires, instead of worrying about what others might think of you if you don\u2019t follow them. If you observe the precepts voluntarily, they are not restraints. Jesus said: \u201cIf anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,\u201d \u201cIf someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them,\u201d and \u201cIf someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.\u201d Have a willing mind like this. If you are forced to do something, you are a slave but if you take the lead, you are a master.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if there is no restriction on food, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will eat a little because I won\u2019t need much energy while meditating,\u201d and even if there is no restriction on lying down, I recommend you to decide: \u201cI will lie down only during the designated hours while I am participating in the practice to be free from desire.\u201d If you decide like this voluntarily, you won\u2019t feel restricted.<\/strong><\/p>\n","post_title":"The Reason Why People Are Unhappy No Matter How Hard They Try To Be Happy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-reason-why-people-are-unhappy-no-matter-how-hard-they-try-to-be-happy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-14 14:40:41","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-14 19:40:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19801","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19738,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-07-16 18:10:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-07-16 23:10:06","post_content":"\n

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

Q<\/strong>: Throughout the Diamond Sutra, it seems that the message \u201cTo be liberated, you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings first\u201d is repeated. While listening to your Dharma talk, I feel that I can understand what you say but as soon as it\u2019s over, I seem to return to the thought, \u201cHow can I generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings when I am not happy myself? Shouldn\u2019t I be liberated first?\u201d Please explain this to me once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There are flowers in front of me. Are they beautiful or ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: They are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you again: If you think the flowers are beautiful, will the flowers feel good or will you feel good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Let me ask you once more: If you think the flowers are ugly, will the flowers feel bad or will you feel bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: That\u2019s how our mind works. If you hate the flowers, you will feel bad and if you like the flowers, you will feel good. Therefore, to feel good, like the flowers. What is so difficult about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means: if you want to be happy, love others. If you love others, you will feel happy and not the other way around. If you think, \u201cI love my husband,\u201d will your husband feel happy or will you feel happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You think that if you love your husband, your husband will feel good, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s wrong. If you think, \u201cA cheater like that is worse than a brute,\u201d you will feel bad. If you want to feel bad, you can hate him. But if you want to feel good, love your husband. You asked me, \u201cHow can I be happy?\u201d So, I am telling you: \u201cLove others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you a simple analogy. If you think, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why he acts that way. I really don\u2019t.\u201d Then how will you feel? Frustrated or lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: On the other hand, if you understand him and think, \u201cAha, that is why he acted that way,\u201d then who will feel lighthearted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll feel lighthearted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: There is nothing difficult about this. It\u2019s just that unenlightened beings do this in reverse and think, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy when others love me.\u201d And thinking that others don\u2019t love them, they suffer. For example, a woman thinks she\u2019s not happy because her husband doesn\u2019t love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asks, \u201cLord Buddha, how can I be happy?\u201d But her real question is, \u201cWhat do I need to do for my husband to love me?\u201d But the Buddha\u2019s answer is the opposite of what she expects. Instead of saying, \u201cIf you do this and that, your husband will love you and you will be happy,\u201d the Buddha says, \u2018If you love your husband, you will be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to liberate all unenlightened beings? When you love and understand your husband, your child, and your neighbor, you\u2014not they\u2014will be free from suffering. This is the principle and science of how our mind works. When you actually try it, you will see that it works. Why would you need the help of the Buddha or God to love and understand your husband? For you to be happy, you just need to love and understand him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how you want your husband to love you, he doesn\u2019t love you, so you pray to the Buddha or God, \u201cPlease make him love me,\u201d or \u201cPlease make my child get good grades.\u201d You need to pray to a powerful being because you want others to do what you want them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, to love someone is entirely up to you, so you don\u2019t need to pray to anyone. When you love someone, you feel happy. If you don\u2019t want to be happy, go ahead and hate others. The Buddha doesn\u2019t teach us morality like \u201cLove others,\u201d or \u201cDon\u2019t hate others.\u201d He just teaches, \u201cIf you want to be happy, love others.\u201d If you want to suffer, hate others. He doesn\u2019t talk about ethics like \u201cTo hate is bad\u201d or \u201cTo love is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cI\u2019m suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell you, \u201cWhy are you suffering? You are suffering because you hate someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask, \u201cWhat can I do not to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say, \u201cDon\u2019t hate that person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While holding a fireball, you say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hot.\u201d So, I tell you, \u201cDrop it.\u201d Why would I tell you to drop it if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s nice and toasty.\u201d I am telling you to drop it because you complain that it is hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be happy, you should love, help, and understand others. Then you will have nothing to suffer from. You are suffering now because you are not loved. You suffer because you are not loved even though you want to be loved, and you don\u2019t receive help even though you want to receive help. In short, you suffer because things don\u2019t go the way you want them to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then what can you do to be free from suffering? Should you force others to do what you want them to do? You can\u2019t make that happen, so you pray, \u201cLord Buddha, please help me.\u201d But even the Buddha can\u2019t do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be free from suffering, you just need to let go of your desire to make things go the way you want them to go. Instead of wanting to receive help, generate the mind to help others. Instead of wanting to be loved, love others first. When you understand others instead of wanting to be understood, your suffering will disappear. Isn\u2019t it easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why you do things backwards is because of old habits. For a non-smoker, not smoking is easier than smoking. But for a smoker, smoking is easier. Inherently, not smoking is much easier than smoking, because you don\u2019t need to do anything if you don\u2019t smoke. You don\u2019t need money or effort to buy cigarettes. But if you do smoke, a lot of work is needed. For instance, you need money to buy cigarettes, you need to go out and buy them, you need to take one out and light it, inhale it, remove the ash and clean up. So not smoking is much easier than smoking and it is better for your health. But when you are addicted to smoking, smoking is easier. It is because smoking has become a habit. In other words, you become addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, which is easier, getting angry or not getting angry? Not getting angry is easier. But you get angry because you are addicted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is easier, feeling happy or feeling unhappy? Feeling happy is easier. You can be happy if you want to. Because you will be happy when you love and understand others. Becoming happy is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suffer because we desire to have our way with the other person. And the desire has become a habit. For we\u2019ve lived like that since we were born. It is the same as a smoker saying, \u201cI can\u2019t live without smoking\u201d when he or she is told to stop smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Buddhadharma is very easy. Actually, you don\u2019t need to do anything special, but we think it is difficult because we are addicted to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, like those who are addicted to nicotine or opium. The Buddha says compassionately, \u201cSmoking is bad for your health,\u201d but I say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmoking is bad in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you respond, \u201cI still want to smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I say, \u201cReally? Go ahead and smoke and die before your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, if you want to smoke, go ahead and smoke. What can I do if you want to smoke? You might think, \u201cHow can a Buddhist monk speak like that?\u201d But what can I do if you want to smoke? Not smoking is good for your health, doesn\u2019t cost you any money, and allows you to keep your room clean, but if you insist on smoking, what can I do about it? If I force you to stop smoking, you will say it is a human rights violation or a privacy violation. So, I respect your human right and tell you, \u201cSmoke as you wish and die.\u201d (Sunim laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Buddhist sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, talk about common sense. It is the same as telling you to stop smoking if you say your throat hurts due to too much smoking, and telling you to eat less if you say you are suffering from indigestion due to too much eating. All the things the sutras say are things like these. But people say that they can\u2019t quit smoking. And the conversation goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuitting smoking is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a little is not good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut can I smoke just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is still bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation drags on. It is the same with the Diamond Sutra, which says all it has to say in Chapter 1, but the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so the explanations stretch to Chapter 32. Do you understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: To say that you should generate the mind to liberate all unenlightened beings means you should generate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help. You suffer because you think, \u201cMy husband doesn\u2019t understand me.\u201d This problem will be solved if you understand your husband. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the flower love me?\u201d you can love the flower. If you think, \u201cWow, the ocean is so beautiful,\u201d you\u2014not the ocean\u2014will feel good. If you think, \u201cWow, the mountain is so wonderful,\u201d you\u2014not the mountain\u2014will feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you say, \u201cMy husband is great,\u201d you will feel good. As you are living with a great person, others will respect you, too. However, if you say, \u201cMy husband is worse than an animal,\u201d others will think like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. As she is living with a man who is worse than an animal, she must be far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up hurting yourself more. Most of us live like that. Honestly, I can speak more frankly but I am afraid all of you might leave if I do that, so I am toning down what I say. Today, you asked me this question so I am telling you honestly. But the Buddha always spoke straightforwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone asked, \u201cHow can I be free from suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cGenerate the mind to help others instead of wanting to receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He meant that you should generate the mind to liberate unenlightened beings instead of asking him to liberate you. What does it mean to liberate? It means that you should love, understand, and help the other person. Understand, love, and help your husband or wife or child. Generate such a mind right now. Then there will be nothing to suffer from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of you hate the other person and suffer, giving reasons like, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t love me,\u2019 \u2018He doesn\u2019t understand me,\u2019 or \u2018He doesn\u2019t help me.\u2019 In fact, you don\u2019t have to pray to anyone. You just need to change your perspective. The Buddha shows this by silently performing his daily activities in Chapter 1 of the Diamond Sutra. But the audience doesn\u2019t understand, so Subhuti asks a question. The Buddha gives an answer in one sentence. But they don\u2019t understand, so he adds explanations, which becomes the next chapter. They still don\u2019t understand, so the Buddha adds more explanations. And the Diamond Sutra<\/em> draws out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me ask you again. If you like a flower, will the flower be happy or will you be happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: I\u2019ll be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right. If you ask, \u201cLord Buddha, what should I do to be happy?\u201d The Buddha says, \u201cLove the flower.\u201d Is it right or wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Is it difficult or easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: Do you need to make an effort to do it, or is it true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: If you actually put this into practice, you will know. When you think: \u201cWow, this flower is beautiful,\u201d you will feel good. You will experience this principle right away. So, the Buddha says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome and see for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means his teaching is such that anybody can come and see. You just need to open your eyes to see it and there is no secret hidden in his closed fists. You can\u2019t see it only because your eyes are closed. When you open your eyes, you can see it. But when you actually try to open your eyes, you will find that it is not easy. Why? Is it because opening your eyes is difficult? Or because you are addicted just as you are addicted to smoking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Because I am addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>: You are right, you are addicted so it is difficult. Even if you can\u2019t do it well, you don\u2019t need to blame yourself. You just need to see yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am addicted to smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHating has become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting angry has become a habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of habit, you hate, get angry, or complain that things are difficult without realizing it. You\u2019ve formed these habits and lived accordingly. You need to break such habits. If you know that some food is harmful to your health, you shouldn\u2019t eat it no matter how good it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break away from the addicted life. Your addiction is not limited to one or two things. Being addicted to all kinds of things, including food, clothing, brand products, perfume, alcohol, smoking, cars, dwellings, people, appearances, and so forth, you live frantically so there is no end to it. Therefore, I\u2019m telling you to let go of your addictions. You can be free from suffering only when you let go of your addictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if I tell you, \u201cCome to your senses,\u201d you say: \u201cSunim doesn\u2019t understand the ways of the world. He says these because he is not married.\u201d Therefore, I just answer your questions and don\u2019t interfere in your life. I talk only when you ask questions. Today, you asked me a question, so I am obliged to give you an answer. And such a foolish question becomes a topic for this Dharma Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there had been only smart people around the Buddha, he wouldn\u2019t have had to give teachings. The Diamond Sutra<\/em> came to exist because people didn\u2019t understand and continued to ask questions. If they had been awakened immediately after watching the Buddha performing his daily activities as shown in Chapter 1, the sutra wouldn\u2019t have existed. Owing to Subhuti\u2019s questions, many people can hear the teachings today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q<\/strong>: Thank you. Now I understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"alt\"\/<\/figure>\n","post_title":"How Can I Generate The Mind To Liberate Unenlightened Beings When I\u2019m Not Happy Myself?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-generate-the-mind-to-liberate-unenlightened-beings-when-im-not-happy-myself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-07-03 18:18:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-07-03 23:18:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19738","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19676,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-18 18:21:15","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:15","post_content":"\n

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

During the course of our lives, we make choices that we think are best at the time. However, when we look back, we realize that the choices we considered to be good before did not have the best consequences. For example, you get married to be happy, but your marriage may end up making you unhappy. You have a child and expect to become happier, but your child may end up making you so miserable that you envy people who don\u2019t have any children. You start a business to make money, but you may end up in debt. Consequently, we are often regretful and miserable because things don\u2019t turn out the way we intended. Then, we wonder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I the master of my life?\u201d \u201cOr have I been swept here by the currents of the world?\u201d Indeed, are we living our lives as the masters of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a man who left his home, his assets, his position, and loved ones to become a monk in order to attain enlightenment. After several years of practice at a temple, he came to believe that it would be impossible for him to attain enlightenment if he continued to live in a community of monks. He felt he didn\u2019t have enough time to practice as he had to do chores, cook meals, and do various other tasks that were part of communal living. He thought to himself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be better for me to go alone deep into the mountains and practice to my heart\u2019s content.\u201d He went deep into the mountains, about ten kilometers away from the nearest village. He first built a thatched cottage to take shelter from the elements and went down to the village regularly to get food. He had more work to do now than before. The cottage often needed repairs, and he had to walk ten kilometers almost every day to get food from the village. Since he walked long distances, he needed to make straw shoes more frequently than before. Therefore, he didn\u2019t have any time to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make matters worse, he got sick. He went to see a doctor who said his illness was caused by malnutrition and that he needed to drink a glass of milk every day. But how could he get milk in the mountains? So, he went down to the village every day to get a glass of milk. Since this was too time consuming, he bought a couple of goats and took them to his cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he now got milk from the goats, he was spared the trouble of making a trip to the village every day. However, he now had more chores to do than before. He had to tie the goats to posts to prevent them from escaping, feed them regularly, and cut enough grass to feed all of them. He was able to drink milk thanks to the goats, but he had less time to practice as he had to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, he hired a goat keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he needed to pay the goat keeper. Before, he only had to get enough food to feed himself during his alms round. However, he now also had to get food and money to give to the goat keeper, so his alms round took much longer. He couldn\u2019t let this go on. He thought to himself, \u201cIt may be better to get married than go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He got married, and he was happy that he didn\u2019t have to pay the goat keeper or do any housework. He thought that he could finally concentrate on his practice. But alas, his wife became pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the man who left his home and family to become a monk and attain enlightenment got married, had children, and ended up scraping a living just like any other lay person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing this man\u2019s life story, you will probably think that he is very foolish, but most of us live like him. We think that we are always making good choices. However, when we look back later, we can see that tempted by the moment\u2019s comfort and ease, we have forgotten our initial goal and purpose. If a man gets married, he should live accordingly, and if a man leaves home to become a monk, he should also live accordingly. If we have such a clear perspective on life, we will suffer less. However, we are so easily swayed that when things get tough, we say, \u201cMaybe I should become a monk.\u201d Then, after becoming a monk, we envy a layman\u2019s life and say, \u201cPractice is so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often do foolish things like the Buddhist monk in the story who lost track of his initial goal. At a time like this, we have two options. One is to forget about our initial goals and live according to the situation we are now in. There is nothing wrong with that. The other is to return to our initial goal the moment we realize we deviated from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People habitually say, \u201cI will be happy when I have money,\u201d or \u201cI will be happy when I get married.\u201d However, they are not happy even though they make money and get married. When they don\u2019t have children, they say \u201cI will be happy when I have a child.\u201d When they have a child, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to elementary school.\u201d When the child goes to elementary school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to middle school.\u201d When the child goes to middle school, they say, \u201cI will be happy when the child goes to college.\u201d When the child goes to college, they still postpone their happiness. They say that they will be happy \u201cwhen the child gets a job,\u201d \u201cwhen the child gets married,\u201d \u201cwhen I have a grandchild,\u201d and then \u201cwhen the grandchild grows up.\u201d Throughout their lives, people change the conditions that they think they need to be happy, so they end up dying without ever having tasted happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth, fame, family, and friends are neither the causes of suffering nor the conditions of happiness. Sometimes, we think these things make us happy, and at other times, we think they make us suffer. If we go back and forth between these two extremes, we will never be free from suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are married, instead of being dissatisfied and worrying about things, try to think, \u201cI have a wife(husband), a house and a job. I have nothing to envy in the world. My life is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we accept our lives as they are, we will become free and happy. If we have a goal that we want to achieve, we have to stop the habit of blindly running forward towards that goal. Rather than resolving to change our behavior starting tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we have to learn to be happy here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer in life. We live as we choose to. We hesitate when making choices because we don\u2019t want to be responsible for the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t say for certain that life is good or bad. There are only choices and the responsibilities that come with the choices we make. Taking responsibility for the choices we make is to willingly accept the consequences of our choices. If we readily accept the consequences of our actions, we won\u2019t be miserable or resentful no matter what happens.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Choice And Self-Contradiction","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"choice-and-self-contradiction","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 18:21:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 23:21:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19676","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":19657,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-06-11 15:25:04","post_date_gmt":"2024-06-11 20:25:04","post_content":"\n

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

When I ask people, \u201cAre you happy?\u201d in my talks, few people say yes. Each of them suffers due to personal worries and emotional wounds, relationship conflicts, frustration and stress about the irrational society, or anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All kinds of things happen in our lives. Usually, things don\u2019t turn out the way we want them to. We want to be loved but may get hurt instead or people we cared about may backstab us. Nothing in this world, however, happens without a reason. Nevertheless, it is not because of God\u2019s will, sin committed in a previous life, or pure chance. We just don\u2019t know the reason. If we can identify where the suffering comes from, we will be able to find the solution easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large part of the reason we are unhappy lies in our inability to let go. Let\u2019s say a man swore at us. It is the same as him handing us a bag of trash. We hold onto the dirty bag tightly and rummage through the trash all our lives saying, \u201cHe swore at me,\u201d or \u201cHe slighted me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we can never enter the path to happiness when we cling to such negative feelings. If someone tries to give us a bag of trash, we shouldn\u2019t take it. If we took it inadvertently, we should say, \u201cEww, it\u2019s dirty,\u201d and throw it away immediately. Unfortunately, however, we continue to keep it deep in our hearts, so it is difficult for us to be happy no matter how hard we try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we as individuals suffer due to our negative mindset, we should change this habit. if we suffer due to a relationship that went sour, we should examine the cause of the conflict and find the solution. If we think that a social system is the problem, we should first try our best to adapt to the current system, and then, if we are sure that the system is the problem, we should try to improve it. Most of us, however, just complain without making any effort to change it. As a result, the world doesn\u2019t change, and we continue to be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anybody who is born into this world has a right to be happy. Until now, for those who do not exercise their right to be happy and are mired in suffering, I have mostly talked about how individuals should cultivate their minds in their practice. In this book, however, I will also talk about social change, which is another wheel that pulls the cart of happiness. In the end, our happiness will be whole only when the individual\u2019s mental attitude(seed) and social conditions(field) are cultivated together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual happiness and making a good society are not two different things. An individual\u2019s effort alone doesn\u2019t make the world a better place nor do improved external conditions alone make an individual happy. Happiness and unhappiness are the results of a combination of the individual\u2019s mental attitude and the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to reflect on ourselves before blaming others and at the same time take responsibility for the improvement of any irrational part of the present reality. In the end, it is all to our benefit. No matter how hard we try to lead a good life, we are bound to suffer if things go wrong in the world. Complacent thoughts like \u201cAs long as it is not me, it\u2019s all right.\u201d or \u201cIt can\u2019t possibly happen to me.\u201d will not protect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enter the path to complete happiness, from now on, we should live as the masters of our lives and of the world with the awareness that we ourselves create our own happiness. Each of us is an insignificant entity like a speck of dust in space, but when we become the masters of our own lives, we can change ourselves as well as the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we aspire to become vital to the world and well used by the world rather than try to lead the good life and succeed for only our own benefit, we will be happy and be helpful to the world at the same time. Then, happiness will be a reality rather than a dream. It is also the way for us to exercise our right to be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this book becomes a guide to happiness for those who are tired of living, got hurt in relationships, and suffer in this seemingly irrational world.<\/p>\n","post_title":"You Have The Right To Be Happy Regardless Of Your Life Situation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"you-have-the-right-to-be-happy-regardless-of-your-life-situation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-12 15:30:20","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-12 20:30:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=19657","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18485,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-04-30 00:45:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-30 05:45:00","post_content":"\n

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

P<\/strong>: A child may think, \u201cI will be happy when I\u2019m all grown up.\u201d Before college, a student may think, \u201cI will be happy when get into a college.\u201d Later, the college student waits for tomorrow thinking, \u201cI will be happy when I graduate from college, \u2026 when I get married, \u2026 when I have a child.\u201d We endure the difficulties of today hoping that we will be happy sometime in the future. As we get older, however, we question whether it is alright to live this way. One person asked me, \u201cWhat is a successful and good life?\u201d In his field of work, this person was perceived as successful, but he was unsure whether his life was indeed successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first need to ask the question, \u201cWhat is \u201csuccess\u201d? Success can be broadly defined as achieving one\u2019s goal. Many believe that making a lot of money is success. Also, they think, gaining high status, power, or fame is success. However, everything is relative. A person with one hundred thousand dollars is considered to be rich among those who only have ten thousand dollars. However, the same person is considered to be poor when he is among millionaires. Being \u201crich\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d is relative and is dependent on the object of comparison. The same rule applies to a person\u2019s status. In the military, a sergeant has a higher rank when compared to a private, but he has a lower rank when compared to a lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of secular successes cannot last forever. Because everyone wants to succeed, even those who have failed will keep on trying to achieve success, so it looks like people are playing a seesaw game. Going up and down, they alternate between success and failure. Can such unsustainable success be called true success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about money. People think that they will be happy when they save the amount of money they aim for. Those without money think that people with money don\u2019t have any worries. Is this true? On the contrary, the rich may have more to worry about than the poor. For example, they worry about protecting their wealth and want to increase it since they always feel lacking in money in comparison with those richer than they are. There is a saying that goes, \u201cA person with 99 rice paddies demands that a person with one rice paddy hand over the land.\u201d It means that a rich person, instead of being satisfied with what he has will want to keep on accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of success in society, there is sometimes a discrepancy between the evaluation of others and that of oneself. For instance, a person who may be regarded as successful by others, may actually feel like a failure. Perhaps that is why there seem to be more elderly people who are regretful and feel they wasted their lives than those who feel that their lives were rewarding and that they would do the same work again if they were reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is a truly successful or good life? When you feel satisfied with your life regardless of societal views of success, your life can be considered to be successful. Generally, people who have earned a lot of money and live in a big apartment in the city are viewed as successful. However, people who are running a farm in the countryside are also leading successful lives when they feel content and think, \u201cI am happy to be able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat organic produce, and enjoy freedom in my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are leading a good life if you are satisfied with your life today and are not postponing happiness until tomorrow. You can be happy when you realize, \u201cYou can\u2019t eat five or six meals a day nor wear dozens of clothes or drive several cars simultaneously. Living modestly and being free from worries is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not really important what type of work you do. If there is something you want to do, you can just do it. It may be rewarding to research new farming techniques, to run a small shop, or to work for the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you want to do is enjoyable even though it may be demanding and difficult. Climbing a mountain for military exercise is just as physically taxing as climbing the same mountain for leisure. But climbing for military exercise is agonizing while climbing for leisure is enjoyable. At times, I find it exhausting to travel around the country and around the world to give talks, but I am happy because spreading the teachings of Buddha gives me great satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I was late for a dharma talk, so I took a cab. I noticed the cab driver was driving very aggressively. Curious as to why the man was so angry and temperamental, I asked the driver, \u201cAre you having a very bad day?\u201d The driver let out a big sigh and said, \u201cMy wife left me and my seven-year-old son.\u201d Then, I asked him, \u201cHow much do you make an hour?\u201d He responded, \u201cAbout eight dollars per hour.\u201d I told him that I would give him forty dollars for five hours of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I got out of the cab in front of the temple where I was giving the dharma talk, I gave the cab driver forty dollars and told him to park the cab and come inside to listen to my dharma talk. Driving so aggressively, the driver could have caused a horrific accident, injuring himself and others. Also, his constant anger would have been a very bad influence on his son. I wanted to give him an opportunity to calm down and reflect on his situation. Think about the benefits of his coming to terms with his situation so that he could be happy despite being without his wife? The possibility of his wife coming back may increase while the chances of his getting into a car accident would decrease, thereby saving lives of others as well as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had just invited him to the dharma talk, he would have refused. But since I paid him, he had no choice but to attend my dharma talk. Come to think of it, I must say that I am happy that so many people come to listen to my dharma talks even though I don\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to reach your goal should not necessarily lead to unhappiness. If you do your best and don\u2019t obsess about the result, the process itself will make you happy. However, when you are not centered and rely on the evaluation of others to define success, your life will seem futile when you fail to \u201csucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the majority of people tend to be pretentious and waste their lives pursuing futile desires. Also, they torture themselves by constantly comparing themselves to others. Some lead apathetic lives believing that they are \u201cincompetent\u201d and others live in misery resenting others. They keep blaming others instead of looking inward and finding contentment. Since they laugh and cry according to the changing circumstances and conditions in their surroundings, they inevitably continue to lead unstable lives. Therefore, you must keep in mind that achieving success as dictated by society and satisfying your desires will not necessarily make you happy. On the contrary, the more you let go of your desires and lower your expectations, the happier and more satisfied you will be.<\/p>\n","post_title":"What Is A Successful Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"what-is-a-successful-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-28 12:50:55","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-28 17:50:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18485","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17473,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 12:11:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:49","post_content":"\n

Happy mother makes happy child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happy Mother, Happy Child","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happy-mother-happy-child","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-06 12:11:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-06 17:11:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17473","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":16480,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-08-23 11:04:29","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-23 16:04:29","post_content":"\n

Are you healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you healthy if you can run
100 meters in less than
12 seconds or you can complete
a hundred pull ups? Not really.
You are healthy when you\u2019re not sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short or tall, with or without a physical disability, if you\u2019re not sick, you\u2019re healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not suffering, you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Maseol <\/p>\n","post_title":"Happiness is","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"happiness-is","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-02 17:20:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-02 22:20:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=16480","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3686,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-28 22:41:12","post_content":"\n

Q: I am always dissatisfied with the present and worried about the future. I've tried to figure out why, and I think it's because I am not thankful enough. How can I lead a content and happy life? <\/p>\n","post_title":"How Can I Live a Content and Happy Life?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-can-i-live-a-content-and-happy-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-13 22:46:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=3686","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2789,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_date_gmt":"2021-03-18 01:51:29","post_content":"\n

Q: I\u2019ve always been a curious person ever since I was a little boy. For example, when there was an ant\u2019s nest, I would watch to see where the ants are going, where they\u2019re getting their food and the trails they make. Now in English speaking cultures, there\u2019s a saying ignorance is bliss. Actually I\u2019ve found curiosity to be one of the more positive factors in my life. It doesn\u2019t seem like ignorance is bliss, is one of the approaches of the Jungto Society. For example, I\u2019ve seen you give talks with a podium like this where it says Happiness school in Korean, and then later on we see a video about some three minute clip or so about some starving children in North Korea or a bird dying full of plastic. So is it possible for me to become happy without losing the awareness of those things that are happening in the world? OK. (Laughs) It\u2019s something that I hope is true, but I don\u2019t know if I can have blind faith that it is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IGdSCNfWzDs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Can I Be Happy While Being Aware?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"can-i-be-happy-while-being-aware","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2021-05-14 02:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/demo2021\/?p=2789","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"};

happy