<\/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"};

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<\/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